Hours after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed politics on the issue of Republic Day tableaux, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote to chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, saying the move to select tableaux for the January 26 parade are taken as per detailed guidelines and seeking their participation in the grand event.
While Bengal’s entry showcased the contribution of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army to the Independence movement, the design submitted by Tamil Nadu featured prominent freedom fighters such as VO Chidambaranar.
Both Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin had expressed their disappointment at their states not being represented and shot off letters to PM Narendra Modi on the issue.
In his letter to Banerjee, Singh noted that the Narendra Modi government holds Netaji in high regard and observes his birth anniversary, January 23, as ‘Parakram Diwas’. He also said that from now on, Republic Day celebrations will begin with his birth anniversary and conclude on January 30.
He added that the process to select tableaux for the Republic Day parade is transparent and follows set guidelines. A committee comprising personalities from the spheres of art, culture, music and dance examines design proposals sent in by the states and decides on which ones to be selected, he said in his letter.
In the letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Singh again stressed that selection of tableaux is done as per the laid-out guidelines and added that while the state’s design cleared the first three rounds of meetings, it could not make it to the final list of 12 selected tableaux.
He hoped that the letter would address concerns and both states would join the celebrations.
Earlier, Sitharaman said it was crucial to “stop seeing bad politics in a display that celebrates India”.
Taking to Twitter, Sitharaman explained the procedure of selection of tableaux for the parade. “States, GoI ministries & PSUs send proposals for #RepublicDay tableaux every year. The duration of Parade itself is limited. An Expert Committee of eminences from the arts shortlist from those received. For RD 2022, GoI received 56 proposals; 21 were shortlisted,” she said.
The minister added: “Existing criteria and proposals for selection were scrupulously followed. Since @narendramodi became @PMOIndia: 2018 & 2021: Kerala’s tableau selected. 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021: Tamil Nadu selected. 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2021: West Bengal selected.”
She closed her argument by saying: “Incidentally, this year the tableau of @CPWDGOV includes Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Stop seeing bad politics in a display that celebrates India.”
This is not the first time that the state tableau for Republic Day parade has been rejected. In 2020, too, tableaus from West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Bihar were rejected, leading to an outcry from the states.
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