Vande Mataram to be played for the first time at Red Fort on Independence Day
The government is celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram, and hence the national song has been chosen to be commemorated, says Ministry of Defence officials
The national song, Vande Mataram, will be rendered for the first time during the Independence Day celebrations to be held from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
The government is celebrating 150 years of Vande Mataram, and hence the national song has been chosen to be commemorated, Ministry of Defence officials said on Monday.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said Vande Mataram would be played as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the venue. The flag hoisting and the national anthem will follow. The Prime Minister’s speech will be delivered after the national anthem.
The Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort are hosted by the Ministry of Defence.
Also, less than a month after the protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the government will focus on ‘Yuva Shakti’ (youth power). Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, when asked if the focus on youth was decided in the wake of the protests, said the programme had been decided prior to the protests.
Addressing questions on the protocol for seating political leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Defence Secretary said, “Seating will be as per the Table of Precedence.”
The Table of Precedence is notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs and lays down the protocol for the seating and positioning of dignitaries.
The seating enclosures at the venue will also be named after various lakes of the country. This is in line with the arrangement at the Republic Day celebrations in January this year, when the seating enclosures were similarly named after lakes.
