1857 celebrations to kickstart from Meerut

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) The year-long celebrations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First War of Independence in 1857 will kickstart with a National Youth Rally from Meerut to Delhi on May 7 -- the day Mangal Pandey raised the banner of revolt against the British might.

About 30,000 youth from all parts of the country will participate in the rally, which would culminate at the historic Red Fort in Delhi on May 11.

President APJ Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be among the galaxy of dignitaries, who would address the rally.

All the former Prime Ministers, state Governors and chief ministers and heads of political parties have also been invited.

''The Government intends to showcase the event as a tribute by the youth of the 21st century to the young heroes of the 1857 Uprising'', Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh told a press conference here.

The rally, to be flagged off by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyar at the Victoria Park in Meerut, is being organised by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), an autonomous body of the HRD Ministry.

It will cover a distance of 80 km from Meerut to Delhi in five days and will halt in Modinagar, Muradnagar and Ghaziabad. In all these places, special programmes will be organised.

Mr Singh, who heads the National Implementation Committee for the celebrations, said on May 6, a mega cultural programme, featuring Javed Akhtar, Pandit Jasraj, Farooq Sheikh and others, would be organised.

He said a series of other programmes have also been drawn up to commemorate the event on a grand scale befitting the occasion.

These include setting up of a National Museum at the Red Fort on the First war of Independence, release of a film by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on the subject and publication of authentic records relating to the life and deeds of Sardar Bhagat Singh.

A function will also be organised to pay homage to the Jallianwala Bagh martyrs and commemorate Tipu Sultan's courageous defiance of the British rulers while Mumbai will host a function on August nine, the day Mahatma Gandhi gave the famous call of ''Quit India''.

Mr Singh said the Union Cabinet had approved an amount of Rs 150 crore for the celebrations.

The grand finale of the celebrations will be held at the Red Fort on August 15 next year, which will be addressed by the Prime Minister.

Replying to a question, the minister said no formal invitations had been sent to Pakistan and Bangladesh and no requests from them had been received either.

''However, people at the private level from the two countries can join the celebrations if they wish to,'' he clarified.

UNI