JOIN US Breathtaking motorcycle stunts by the celebrated Army Service Corps (ASC) Tornados team and colourful cultural programmes by schoolchildren were the highlight of Friday’s ceremonial parade organised as a part of the Independence Day celebrations at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Grounds here.
Around two thousand students from different schools captured the attention of the audience with their performances depicting the varied mosaic of Indian culture and heritage, the courage and sacrifice of freedom fighters, among others.
The spirit of patriotism was captured by the students of BBMP high school and girls’ pre-university college, Austin Town in their performance “Naragunda Bandaya.”
Around 600 students in a dance-drama format depicted how Babasaheba, the king of Naragunda, fought against the British in 1858. Babasaheba opposed Dalhousie’s “Doctrine of Lapse” and fought against annexation of Naragunda by the British ultimately making the supreme sacrifice.
The Parade Ground represented an ocean of colour as over 600 students took the audience on a journey through the Quit India movement. The students from Florence High School, Basaveshwaranagar attired in colourful costumes and waving the tricolour narrated the story of freedom fighters waging a war against foreign rule.
Students of Vidyanjali School and Government High School, BG Road, danced to fast western and fusion beats to celebrate the spirit of freedom and independence.
The motorcycle display by ASC Tornadoes left the audience, especially children, asking for more. In stunning performances, the riders on their motorcycles crashed through a wall of tubelights, jumped through an iron ring on fire. Eighteen tornadoes performed thrilling acts like “scissor crossing” and the “parallel crossing” where the riders in two groups sped, crossing each other’s paths.
Earlier, the formal ceremony began with the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arriving at the saluting base to preside over the celebrations. The smart marching contingents of the para-military, police and student corps attired in their ceremonial best added colour and beat to the parade.
The young brigade of the National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme who followed the paramilitary contingents were cheered enthusiastically by the audience.
But the loudest applause went to the contingents from the Ramana Maharshi School for the Blind and Samarthana Trust who proved that being visually challenged does not come in the way of patriotism.