Nation toasts 1857 heroism with colourful pageantry, promises

New Delhi, May 11 (UNI) One hundred and fifty years after Mangal Pandey raised the banner of revolt against imperialism, India today paid glowing tributes to the spirit of bravery, daring and courage of the martyrs of 1857 at the historic Lal Qila here which was a mute witness to the great uprising.

Invoking Vivekanand's immortal ''Uttishtha Jagrut Prapya Varannibodhat'' -- Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is achieved -- to the youth, President A P J Abdul Kalam called upon them to join in the nation's 'second people's struggle' and strive relentlessly to achieve success, like the freedom fighters who 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 the long cherished Independence, even as rich pageantry and colourful dance-drama depiction of the freedom struggle unfolded across eleven stages by 2,000 folk artists from country's seven zonal cultural centres.

''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 marched to Delhi from Meerut to remember the 150 years of the first war of India's independence, and a host of dignitaries including Vice-President B S Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi among others.

This will impart the country the food, economic, energy and national security to make India a superpower by 2020, and above all make a nation where people of all religions live in harmony and contribute in its prosperity, he said.

''For this a daring national movement is needed in which people from all walks of life should participate and specially the youth in the political process... 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.'' MORE UNI