Magic to reenact sagas of Freedom Struggle country-wide

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9 (UNI) ''Vismay Swaraj Yatra'', a 60-day all-India tour, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Independence and the 150th anniversary of the 1857 First War of Independence, will depict the inspiring history of the freedom movement through magical episodes.

Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs M Vijayakumar told reporters here that Magician Gopinath Muthukad and his 25-member team would be conducting the 'Yatra' from Kashmir. It would conclude at Kanyakumari on November 30.

Free magic shows, depicting the events of the Struggle starting from the 1857 'Sepoy Mutiny,' would be the highlight of the tour.

The team, including seven girls, would pay ''magical tributes'' at places linked to the heroes of the First War of Independence.

Valorous sagas of Mangal Pandey, who first triggered a gunshot against colonialism, revolutionary movements of Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi's strongest weapon of non-violence would find place in the shows, Mr Muthukad said.

The entourage would stage shows in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkand, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

On September 20, before leaving for Srinagar, the team would stage a magic ''Beneath the Gallows'', reliving the heroic life of Bhagat Singh.

The 'Yatra' is supported by the Defence Ministry, Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathan, LIC of India and Union Bank of India.

UNI