West Bengal’s tableau showcases state’s contribution to freedom movement through Vande Mataram

Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS) At the Republic Day parade in the national Capital, West Bengal’s tableau rolled down the Kartavya Path showcasing Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and his landmark composition ‘Vande Mataram’. The tableau was made in line with the 77th Republic Day Parade’s overarching theme celebrating 150 years of the national song. The subject for the state’s tableau was ‘Bengal in the Freedom Movement of India’.

The vibrant tableau’s rear end portrayed noted personalities from West Bengal such as Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and freedom fighter Khudiram Bose facing the gallows.

‘Vande Mataram’, which was initially composed independently and later included in the novel ‘Anandamath’, fired the imagination of Indians during the colonial era and emboldened them to fight for the country’s liberation.

It was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 Congress Session in Calcutta (now Kolkata). The side panels of West Bengal’s tableau carried an image of an archival page, which says ‘Vande Mataram, Anandamath, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’ in Bengali. The middle portion had an equestrian statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, along with a symbolic representation of a group of Indians being beaten by police during the colonial era. Behind it was a sculpture of freedom fighter Matangini Hazra.

The tableau’s lower side panels depicted in relief a group of Indian personalities hailing from the undivided Bengal region who have contributed to the freedom struggle.

These personalities include Chittaranjan Das, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Sri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, Benoy, Badal, Dinesh, Bagha Jatin, Pritilata Waddedar, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Rash Behari Bose. The middle portion of the lower panel depicted the facade of the historic Alipore Jail (now a museum) in Kolkata.

“The tableau pays tribute to Bengal’s enduring legacy, sacrifice and leadership in shaping India’s journey to Independence, featuring a musical performance based on the original score of ‘Vande Mataram’ first sung by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896,” according to an official note shared by the state government.

Last year, West Bengal’s tableau showcased the state government’s social welfare schemes ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ and ‘Lok Prasar Prakalpa’ as themes, in a bid to highlight the empowerment and self-reliance in Bengal.

The tableau’s front featured a Durga idol in Chhau attire, symbolizing ‘Naari Shakti’ (women power), while a replica of the ‘Kalash’ of Lakshmir Bhandar stood as a representation of women’s empowerment.

–IANS

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