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Security stepped up for Saarang

Special Correspondent

All participants, ticket holders will have to carry identity cards

CHENAI : Saarang 2006, the annual edition of IIT Madras's hugely popular cultural fest, will be held under increased security cover this year. This follows the high alert in higher educational institutions, after the recent violence at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Apart from fifty armed police personnel who will be present on the campus at all times, all vehicles entering the campus during the six-day long event starting Tuesday will be checked. All participants and pro-show ticket holders will be required to carry a photo identity card.

For all events at the open-air theatre, both visitors and participants will be frisked and metal detectors will be deployed. This is apart from sniffer dogs, walkie-talkies and surveillance cameras at all entrances. Appropriate fire safety measures have been put in place The security will be unobtrusive and will not affect the fest's spirit, M.S. Ananth, Director, IIT (M) told reporters here on Monday.

Also, this year's event will go green — with minimal use of plastics and non-biodegradables — and will involve self-help groups in areas such as catering, A. Hemanth Kumar, cultural secretary (literary events), said.

Around 13,050 students from over 200 colleges all over India have confirmed participation. Apart from the usual crowd-pullers such as What's the Good Word, debate, Jest A Minute (JAM), quiz, music solos, dramatics, choreo nite, rock show, dance events and Ad-Zap, new events this year include classical and folk dances, fusion music and a treasure hunt.

Saarang would assemble one of the largest assortments of concerts and shows within on a single platform in India, said Rajesh Kumar Reddy, cultural secretary (Arts). Tickets will be available at the venue or at places such as the Odyssey and Landmark book stores and the Fruit Shop outlets. More details can be had by contacting Hemanth Kumar at 94440 05769/hemanth@saarang.org or Rajesh Reddy at 94440 05768/rajesh@saarang.org.

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