It was a riot of colours on the ground as children from both government and private schools stormed Indira Gandhi Sport Stadium to dance to patriotic songs during the Independence Day celebrations in Puducherry on Tuesday.
Clad in bright traditional clothes, schoolchildren of Thiruvalluvar Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Thiru.Vi.Ka.Government High School, Vidhya Bhavan Higher Secondary School, St. Joseph High School and Jawahar Bal Bhavan took turns dancing to the tunes that evoked the spirit of freedom.
The stadium which was half empty filled up by the time cultural troupes from different States started performing. Artistes from Assam, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and many other states showcased the folk culture of their region to the audience who rushed to the front and stood up the chair to watch the performance.
What stole the show was the march past by various contingents. Armed police, traffic police, civil police (men), India Reserve Battalion, Andaman India Reserve Battalion, women police, home guards, fire service, ex-servicemen, NCC Senior Division (boys – Army, Naval and Air Force), NCC Senior Division (girls – Air Force), NCC Junior Division (boys – Army, Naval and Air Force), Scouts, guides, National Service Scheme (boys and girls), Community Service Scheme (boys and girls), children traffic corps (boys and girls) and contingents from several government and private school students participated.
The Indian Reserve Battalion and Andaman India Reserve Battalion bagged the first prize in march past and the fire service won for the non-contingent team. The other contingents who won the prize include NCC Senior Division (boys Air Force), NCC Senior Division (girls – Air Force), NCC Junior Division (Boys – Air Force), NSS Girls, Calve College Government Higher Secondary School, Subramania Bharathiar Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Amalorpavam Higher Secondary School for Boys, Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School.
Thiruvalluvar Government Girls Higher Secondary School and St. Joseph High School won prizes for their performance.
