The 71st Independence Day celebrations, the first to be conducted officially in Tirupati post bifurcation, on Tuesday brought into limelight some of the best performers in various wings of the Police Department, whose hair-raising demonstrations were cheered by the people. The ceremonial parade scored initial Brownie points. There were three units from the Andhra Pradesh Special Police, namely, the 5th Battalion (Vizianagaram), known for its disaster response on the East coast, the 6th Battalion (Mangalagiri), hailed as the ‘Pride of Palnadu’, and the 16th Battalion (Visakhapatnam), ranked the best in the State. The contingent from the Tamil Nadu State Police Department, which was formed as a special force during the Razakar movement and drafted mostly for election duty and cyclone relief, made eyes turn.
Similarly, the all-woman delegation representing the Prohibition and Excise Department stood as a symbol of feminine power.
There were teams from NCC boys and girls, Sainik School (Kalikiri) and Bharat scouts and guides, AP Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions, AP Red Cross Youth, and ex-servicemen under the banner of AP Sainik Welfare Department.
Upon the invitation of the parade Commander Amit Bardar, Assault Commander, Grey Hounds, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu boarded the open-top vehicle, inspected the parade and received the guard of honour.
Earlier, the teams in the parade took positions following directions from Parade Adjutant K. Samarpan Rao of the APSP 2nd Battalion (Kurnool) and second-in-command P.V. Hanumanthu of the 11th Battalion (Kadapa). APSP Battalion Inspector-General R.K. Meena acted as the nodal officer.
The music masters’ band of Kakinada and personnel of the Fire & Disaster Management too impressed the audience during the parade.
Moment to cherish
The valorous acts by the motorcycle-borne policemen won loud cheers. The performers grouped themselves into numerous eye-catching formations, sneaked through a ring of fire, and jumped over an elevated ramp, and came precariously close in the opposite direction, as if ramming into the other The stellar performance was a result of rigorous practice for over a fortnight.
Much to their delight, Mr. Naidu walked down the stage and posed for a photograph with them.
