Republic Day 2024: Ahead of Republic Day 2024, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has lashed out at the Centre after the state's tableau was rejected for the parade. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Bhagwant Mann accused the government saying how much 'poison' it has for the people of Punjab after the tableau was rejected.
"Today, the value of the martyrdom of Punjabis by the BJP government at the centre has been presented to three crores Punjabis through the media. This time again the tableau of Punjab was not included in the 26th January parade... we sent 3 subjects... 1. History of Martyrs of Punjabis 2. History of Mai Bhago Ji 3. Priceless heritage of Punjab. This decision of BJP government shows how much poison they have in their hearts against Punjabis..." Bhagwant Mann said.
Responding after Bhagwant Mann attacked the Centre, BJP leader Harjeet Grewal said that the tableau was rejected as it didn't meet the set parameters. Not only Punjab but tableau of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh have also been rejected.
"There is a committee to select the tableaus and there are some set parameters which have to be met. If a tableau doesn't meet the set parameters, it is rejected. I think that the Aam Aadmi Party tries to mislead people and make false accusations against the centre. They should come up with the details on why it was rejected," he said.
How tableaux are selected for Republic Day?
Tableaux are an important part of the Republic Day parade every year as it display the diverse culture and traditions of Indian States and Union Territories when the parade passes on the Kartavya Path.
The selection of tableaux is a well-established process that involves an expert committee comprising of eminent persons from various disciplines such as art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, and so on. The panel of experts is directed by the Ministry of Defence. Though the government receives proposals from almost all the states and Union Territories, they are evaluated in a series of meetings by the expert committee.
Tableaux proposals received from various states, Union territories, central ministries, and central departments are evaluated in a series of meetings by the expert committee.
How proposals are examined?
- Proposals are examined on the basis of theme, concept, design, and visual impact before making recommendations.
- The evaluation process has various stages beginning with an initial appreciation of sketch, design and the themes of the demonstration.
- It culminates, after many interactions between the expert committee and the states/UTs/departments/ministries, with a three-dimensional model of the tableau.
- Visual appeal, impact on the masses, idea behind it, degree of detailing, music accompanying it are examined before the final selection.
- The selection process is based on a zonal system, with states/UTs divided into six zones: Northern, Central, Eastern, Western, Southern, and North Eastern.
Past controversies on Tableau getting rejected
There have been instances of tableaux being rejected for the Republic Day parade in the past. For instance, Tamil Nadu’s tableau was rejected in 2022, which led to a controversy. The theme of the tableau was “Tamil Nadu in the freedom struggle,” and it was rejected by the expert committee in Delhi. The state decided to parade it across the state on Republic Day instead.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, the tableau of West Bengal and Punjab were also rejected.
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