Telangana to mark 75 years of Independence in a grand manner

A special Assembly session, cultural programmes, sport events, plantation drives, blood donation camps and fireworks, among other activities, will mark the two-week ‘Swatantra Bharata Vajrotsavam’ being organised across the State by the Telangana government from August 8 to celebrate 75 years of Independence.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called upon the people of the State to participate in the celebrations with patriotic fervour and gaiety in a grand manner. To involve people from all class and creed, the government has decided to distribute national flags to be hoisted on all the 1.2 crore households in the State on August 15. The distribution of flags will commence from August 9 through the local bodies.

The Chief Minister chaired a meeting of the organising committee headed by Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Tuesday to review the preparations. He will kick-start the inaugural ceremony of the diamond jubilee celebrations at HICC on August 8 and address the people of the State. All elected representatives, including MPs, MLAs and MLCs to Mandal Praja Parishad members, along with top officials of the State government, armed forces, PSUs and others, numbering nearly 2,000 invitees, will participate in the event.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to arrange for special decorations of all government buildings such as bus stands, railway stations, the airport and hospitals. All major government buildings and landmark government properties will be illuminated and the national flag will be hoisted throughout the fortnight. Private establishments such as hotels and shopping malls will also be encouraged to decorate their premises.

Elocution, essay writing, painting and patriotic song competitions will be held for students in all public and private educational institutions. Patriotic poetry competitions will be organised for teachers and lecturers. Educational institutions have been advised to play



patriotic songs in the morning assembly.

Kavi Sammelans and Mushairas will also be organised by the Cultural Affairs Department to commemorate the freedom struggle. Freedom Cup sports tournaments will be held at village, mandal and district levels. A Freedom 2k run will be organised to mark the occasion. Rallies will be taken out in all urban and rural areas.

The police officials were instructed to make arrangements for all the people sing the national anthem in unison across the State at a particular time on a particular day during the two-week celebrations. It was decided to screen ‘Gandhi’ directed by Richard Atenborough in theatres for students.

Plantation drives will be taken up through ‘Vanamahotsavams’ and Freedom Parks will be established at all possible locations. Blood donation camps in all Assembly constituency headquarters; distribution of fruits and sweets in hospitals, orphanages and oldage homes; and display of balloons to instill the spirit of freedom among denizens, will be arranged. Special musical shows will be held to depict the Indian freedom movement.

A special Assembly session will be held in Hyderabad, apart from holding special general body meetings of all local bodies in the State to mark the 75th year of Independence and pay homage to freedom fighters. A grand display of fireworks will be held at Tank Bund in Hyderabad as well as all district and mandal headquarters on August 14 night.

Throughout the fortnight, special cultural events will be showcased at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister has decided to constitute organising committees led by the district in-charge Ministers to organise the celebrations in a foolproof manner. He suggested selecting and honouring the best performing gram panchayat, municipality, school, farmer, doctor, engineer, police and other government officers, artiste, singer and poet/writer in every district, as part of the celebrations.