The fervour of freedom

Come August and the entire city gets soaked in a patriotic fervour. With tri-colour flags and kites being sold at every traffic signal and corner of the city, preparations are in full swing to celebrate the 70th Independence Day. A special attention is also paid to the cultural aspect as different events and festivals are organised across the city. Nehru Bal Sangh, a 45-year-old organisation has been organising ‘Jashn-e Azadi’ that focuses on the same.

“The idea behind organising this event is to make people realise that Independence Day is not like any other holiday. It’s a national festival which everyone should celebrate with enthusiasm. Also, we are trying to engage students to learn more about the era and our great freedom fighters,” says Ashok Sahota, president, Nehru Bal Sangh.

Starting from August 2, the festival will feature various dancing, singing competitions and other activities in which students from over 50 schools across Delhi-NCR will participate. The two-week long festival will be carried out at different venues across the city. “We will also have flash mobs at various places in the city on patriotic themes. Instead of sticking to one venue, we opted for different venues as it can help us engage more people,” says Sabota.

Sadhya – A unit of Performing Arts, will be performing on the festival’s main event to be held on August 10, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Director and choreographer Santosh Nair with his team, has conceptualised an hour-long show in which he will be showcasing the journey of India, starting from the golden period to the present time.

Nair tells Metrolife, “Through our musical piece, we will be portraying the life and struggle of freedom fighters like Mangal Pandey and Mahatma Gandhi. This time we have also tried to focus on the post independence era. By taking examples of J R D Tata, Verghese Kurien, M S Swaminathan and Narayana Murthy among others, we are giving youth a message to contribute to the growth and prosperity of our nation.”

For the first time since its inception in 2013, the festival has collaborated with South Korea, which also celebrates its independence on the same day. People from the Korean Cultural Centre will be performing a special 15-minute piece dedicated to their freedom fighters.

Kim Kum Pyoung, director, Korean Cultural Centre, India says, “I am happy that we are celebrating our Independence Day with India. Korean freedom fighters were inspired by Mahatma Gandhi during Korea’s struggles for freedom. Through this kind of co-operative celebration, we are looking to strengthen the relationship between India and Korea and pave the way for an everlasting friendship for the coming generation”.