NAGPUR students created a sort of records on September 7, when 40, 000 of them from 110 different schools of this premier city of Central India recited Vande Mataram at Yashwant Stadium braving the onslaught of rains early morning.
The occasion was 105 years of Vande Mataram and Golden Jubilee year of Maharashtra. The event was organised jointly by Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Maitree Parivar, a social organisation and Education Department of Zilla Parishad of Nagpur. In fact, this competition is being organised for the past 14 years in the city. But this was the very special occasion.
‘Vande Mataram’ these two words have an electrifying effect on the public mind as they echo the sacred feelings of millions of Indians towards their motherland. Thousands sacrificed their lives at the altar of the Bharat Mata during the 110-year-long freedom struggle. Vande Mataram remained the very preliminary source of inspiration for all the Indians to take a plunge into the independence movement right from the firebrand revolutionaries to non-violent struggles of Mahatma Gandhi.
Starting from Khudiram Bose, who went to the gallows with Geeta in hands and chanting Vande Mataram to Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, this electrifying mantra remained the common chord for these different paths which ultimately led to India breaking the shackles of 150-year slavery.
The same magic effect of this electrifying mantra which describes our motherland and her glories, was visible on thousands of Nagpurians when 40,000 school students from 110 different schools of the city recited Vande Mataram in one voice at the Yashwant Stadium.
The sky was overcast since previous night and thick black clouds were giving the warning of heavy rains any moment. But such a situation did not dampen the spirits of the students and organisers of this historic event. Buses after buses ferried the school children clad in sky blue, white, green and saffron caps. The stadium was full within half an hour.
As the students settled at their places gradually the colorful map of free India got unfolded at the stadium before the enthusiastic audience. Together they sang the India’s national song-Vande Mataram-to mark its 105th anniversary and “Maharashtra Geet” to mark the golden jubilee of formation of Maharashtra state. Singing of Saare Jahan se Achha marked the emotional end of this programme.
Nagpur Mayor Archana Dehankar presided over the function while Deputy Mayor Shekhar Sawarbandhe, NMC Standing Committee Chief Sandeep Joshi, Ruling Party leader Praveen Datke, Leader of Opposition Vikas Thakre, Maitree Parivar president Prof Sanjay Bhende, secretary Prof Pramod Pendke, attended the programme.
Shabari Puranik, dressed as Bharat Mata and Prakash Prabhalwar clad as Mahatma Gandhi were the main attractions of the programme. RSS Nagpur Mahanagar Sanghachalak Dr Dilip Gupta, Vidya Bharti’s Nana Kharpate, and others from various organisations attended the event.
Amar Wazalwar and his team presented Veer Sawarkar’s famous song Jayostute, He Hindu Nrisimha Prabho Shivaji Raja to add patriotic color to the event. Ariel photography of the event was done by Rajesh Joshi and flowers were showered on the students from the plane to make the patriotic morning more remarkable and unforgettable event of the year.
