Nation raises toast for 1857 heroism

New Delhi, May 11: One hundred and fifty years after Mangal Pandey raised the banner of revolt against British imperialism, modern India today toasted that spirit of bravery, daring and courage of 1857 martyrs at the historic Lal Qila here which was witness to the great uprising.

India's top leadership, President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, stirred the nation's conscience with moving words that rekindled the spirit of 'selfless sacrifice' and 'unity in diversity', the twin bedrocks of India's nationhood.

However, a jarring note was the conspicuous absence of NDA chairperson and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee lending credence to the BJP's allegation that the show had been monopolised by the ruling party.

In fact, not a single prominent Opposition leader was noted on the dias and a very few members of Parliament were present in the VIP area, which did not go unnoticed by the large number of people assembled there.

The day's event began at about 0715 hrs, 15 minutes later than scheduled, with the hour-long 'Sangram and Azadi' pageantry featuring the country's unity and diversity, its vivid colours and myriads, its traditions and heritage, wrapped in temple dances, martial arts, music and classical art forms, symbolising the great movement that led to the 'Rising' and underlining the spirit of 'Sajhi Shahadat, Sajhi Virasat', the punchline for the year-long celebrations to mark the 150th year of the '1857 Revolt'.

Invoking Vivekanand's immortal ''Uttishtha Jagrut Prapya Varannibodhat,'' Arise, Awake and Stop not Till the Goal is Achieved, President A P J Abdul Kalam called upon the youth to join in the nation's 'second people's struggle' and strive relentlessly to achieve it, just the way freedom fighters struggled for almost a century to attain Independence.

In consonance with the tradition, Dr Kalam in his speech in Hindi from the Lal Qila ramparts reminded them of the sacrifices that earned ''us the long cherished Independence.'' ''I want to offer a mission to my countrymen, of making India politically, economically and socially strong and saving its independence from internal and external interference,'' he told a gathering of over 36,000 youth who had marched to Delhi from Meerut to mark 150 years of the 'First War of India's Independence'.

This will bring about national security, along with food, economic and energy security, to make India a superpower by 2020, besides building a nation where people of all religions live in harmony and contribute in its prosperity. For this a daring national movement is needed in which people from all walks of life participate, and specially the youth in the political process, he said.

''On this historic day of May 11, I call upon all of you to pledge to participate in the 'second freedom struggle' to achieve the goal of a strong, developed and happy India by 2020.'' Dr Manmohan Singh in his address to the people of India said the youth of today must realise the sacrifices which earned the country the long cherished goal of Independence after a relentless conflict of nearly a century from the time when the first struggle began in Meerut in 1857.

''Let us prove that we deserve the hard gained Independence that followed decades of struggle across the nation and which truly symbolised the spirit of unity in diversity, which was our power and future,'' he told a enraptured audience.

''The most important message of 1857 was that religious boundaries melted and people from all walks of life joined hands to drive away the British from our soil.''

Ms Sonia Gandhi, while welcoming the thousands of youth who took the five-day Jung-e-Azadi 'pad yatra' from Meerut to Delhi to bring alive the epoch making event of 1857, said the 'revolt' established the fact that unitedly ''we could achieve the impossible.'' ''Those who thought that the sun would never set on their empire were brought to their knees and forced to leave the country, that too within a century, after the whole of India stood unitedly to take charge of their destiny.'' This proved that unity in diversity was ''our biggest asset'' and secularism formed the basis of this great unifying force, she added.

Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat while delving on the historic event which struck deep into the Indian psyche despite the communally divisive policies of the British, said the 'revolt' became an important event in ''our freedom struggle'' -- providing hope and inspiration to future generations and lovers of freedom.

The sacrifice of the brave sons of the soil, which represented a dynamic surge of energy that was raring to take on any challenge, offers a lesson in looking beyond self interest and promoting the larger interest of nation building, he added.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the first war of Independence symbolised that nation was above everything -- religion, caste and class.

''Let us all promise under the 'tiranga' to work unitedly for the nation and make it proud.'' Earlier, the mega cultural event 'Sangram aur Azadi' by nearly 2,000 eminent artistes -- comprising both rural and urban traditional dancers, acrobats, ballad singers and musicians -- from seven zonal cultural centres of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs-- depicted a narrative that began with the 'Great Uprising' and ended with India's Independence in 1947.

Filled with evocative lessons for the future derived from the 1857 rebellion, the 'show' brought within its folds the incipient stirrings across the country and its aftermath, retribution and above all the inspiration, whle employing regional performers and contemporary productive techniques through eight 'scenes'.

Prior to this, the 36,000-strong youth brigade of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghthan, which undertook the Meerut to Delhi 'padyatra', marched from Yamuna Pushta area in East Delhi to the Lal Qila grounds to join the 'Inaugural Function of the National Celebration to Commemorate 150th Anniversary of the First War of Independence' organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Culture.

Later in the day, the event would be marked by thematic cultural performances and exhibitions and opening of food and craft stalls at the Red Fort Lawns.

The three-tier exhibit would consist of 'Words, Ideas, Images', 'Search for a National Symbol', 'Interactive Shadows on the Red Fort'.

Besides this, a 'chapati bazaar' selling 150 varieties of Indian breads and diverse street food, and a 'lotus bazaar' or the craft bazaar would sell handcrafted merchandise celebrating the spirit of the struggle for independence through the work of 150 craftspeople based on the theme of freedom and 1857.

UNI