Rare natural abode of Asiatic lions in Gir, Madhya Pradesh’s white tiger safari, works of BR Ambedkar and initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat’ and ‘Digital India’ are among the themes this year for the Republic Day tableaux.A total of 23 tableaux were on display at the 67th Republic Day parade with 17 of them belonging to various states and Union Territories.Six tableaux from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New and Renewable energy, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Communication and IT, Panchayati Raj and Election Commission also found their place at the ceremonial parade on the Rajpath.
States which registered their presence this year include Assam, Goa, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Tripura, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat.However, there was no tableau from national capital Delhi for the third consecutive year.While tableaux from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu focused on the rarely known tribes from the respective states, Goa and Assam showcased local people performing Jagor folk dance and Rangoli Bihu.
The tableau of Gujarat depicted rare and exotic varieties along with the Sidi community settled in the Gir forest, performing their traditional dance. Similarly, the Tamil Nadu presented the lifestyle, appearance, manners and customs of Toda tribe of Nilgiri district, one of the six primitive tribal groups of the state.The float by Jammu and Kashmir depicted rural development through technology and economic activities, besides making the villages clean and green. The state’s theme was ‘Merao Gaon Mera Jahan’ (my village my world), which is a flagship of the government under the Clean and Green Mission 2015-16. .
