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Brian Mendonça
Last week, I was invited to witness
a Republic Day parade in Goa. The gesture came from Mr. Chandrappa M.T., Head
Constable, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Unit, Mormugoa Port Trust
(MPT), Goa. The parade was to be held on the grounds adjacent to Deepvihar
school, Sada, Vasco-da-Gama, Goa.
As the men in uniform marched
flawlessly in the crisp morning air, a feeling of patriotism pervaded the air.
The national flag beckoned all to merge within the folds of its colours as
pageants of its history were recalled. The formal events over, the cultural
programme commenced. The arrangements were good with the invitees seated under
a covered pandal overlooking the
ground. A snack packet was thoughtfully distributed.
One skit portrayed how a soldier
leaves his family and loses his life fighting for the country. Rather than
being demoralized, his daughter decides to join the armed forces. She is
blessed by her mother in an emotional scene.
The first item on the cultural
programme was the tiny tots of Deepvihar school performing to Goan music swaying to the strumming of the
guitar. Dressed smartly in their red and black costumes they sashayed to the
beat as the crowd gleefully cheered them.
Then came a dance choreographed to
the Kashmiri song ‘Rind Posh Maal’
originally sung by Shankar Mahadevan. The song (available on Youtube) composed
by the late-eighteenth century Kashmiri poet Rasul Mir, looks forward to peace
in Kashmir. As the children danced to the steps of Hrithik Roshan in Mission Kashmir (2000) my mind went back
to the terrible beauty of the land.
The cultural programme ended with a
captivating Goan Fugdi performed by
girl students. With absolutely no accompaniment, except clapping their hands,
alternating the beat, the women mesmerized the audience as they danced for the
Lord, while another group of girls chanted the songs. After the scintillating
performances the CISF team showed their fighting prowess, in a simulated combat
situation with the enemy.
After that Priyanka, Mr. Chandrappa’s
daughter, said that she and her brother would like to show me the Japanese
garden, and the Mormugao fort built by the Portuguese in 1624. Priyanka had
welcomed us when we reached the venue and stayed with us till the end of the
programme. The awesome view from the ramparts of the fort made the precarious
path up to it, worth it. Mrs. Chandrappa then called requesting us to visit
their place. My son and myself gladly went over and met the family over jalebis and farsan.
Till to date I have not seen Mr.
Chandrappa. (He was assigned duties elsewhere on R-Day.) But in him, I
witnessed the generosity of India. Here was a man willing to die for the
nation, yet having the gentleness to make a stranger like me feel welcome. Like
the magical red Manjadikuru seeds which my son picked up from the fort
precincts, the allure of India and its unity in diversity, comes in the form of
small gems like this. Jai Bharat. Jai
Hind.
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, St. Inez, Goa on Sunday, 4 February 2018. Family pix courtesy Mr. Chandrappa. Lead pix above from celebrations wallpapers.
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