Amid a Centre vs states tussle on the exclusion of Bengal and Tamil Nadu’s tableaux from the upcoming Republic Day Parade and the chief ministers writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an intervention, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it was crucial to “stop seeing bad politics in a display that celebrates India”.
Taking to Twitter, Sitharaman explained the procedure of selection of tableaux for the parade. “States, GoI ministries & PSUs send proposals for #RepublicDay tableaux every year. The duration of Parade itself is limited. An Expert Committee of eminences from the arts shortlist from those received. For RD 2022, GoI received 56 proposals; 21 were shortlisted,” she said.
The minister added: “Existing criteria and proposals for selection were scrupulously followed. Since @narendramodi became @PMOIndia: 2018 & 2021: Kerala’s tableau selected. 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021: Tamil Nadu selected. 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2021: West Bengal selected.”
She closed her argument by saying: “Incidentally, this year the tableau of @CPWDGOV includes Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Stop seeing bad politics in a display that celebrates India.”
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin have written to PM Modi over the omission of their states’ tableaux and sought his intervention.
Excluding the tableau will deeply hurt the sentiments and patriotic feelings of the people of Tamil Nadu, Stalin said.
“I have been profoundly shocked and hurt by the decision of the Government of India to abruptly exclude the proposed tableau of the Government of West Bengal from the ensuing Republic Day Parade,” Banerjee said in a letter to PM Modi. The proposed tableau was to commemorate the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his INA on his 125th birth anniversary year, she said.
This is not the first time that the state tableau for Republic Day parade has been rejected. In 2020, too, tableaus from West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Bihar were rejected, leading to an outcry from the states.
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