INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS AT RED FORT
The Prime Minister
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee will unfurl the National Flag on the
ramparts of the Red Fort tomorrow on the occasion of the 56th
Independence Day and will address the nation.
On arrival at
Lahore Gate at Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by
the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes, Minister of State
for Defence Shri Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister of State for Defence
Production and Supplies Shri Harin Pathak and Defence Secretary
Shri Subir Dutta. Defence Secretary will introduce General Officer
Commanding Delhi Area, Major General NS Pathania to the Prime
Minister. The GOC Delhi Area will then conduct the Prime Minister
to the Saluting Base where a combined inter-services and police
guard will present general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter,
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee will inspect a guard of honour.
After inspecting
the guard of honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts
where he will be greeted by the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes,
Minister of State for Defence Shri Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister
of State for Defence Production and Supplies Shri Harin Pathak.
Chief of Army Staff Gen S. Padmanabhan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Madhavendra Singh and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy.
The Prime Minister
will then unfurl the National Flag after inspecting the Guard
of Honour.
The combined inter-services
and Delhi Police guard will present national salute to the National
Flag. The Army band comprising 25 musicians conducted by Subedar
DB Punn will play the National Anthem. The Ceremonial Field
Battery commanded by Major Deepak Mahajan will present a 21-gun
salute. The Prime Minister will then address the nation. After
the Prime Minister’s address, school children and NCC Cadets will
sing the National Anthem.
Guard of Honour for the
Prime Minister.
The combined
Guard of Honour at the Lahore Gate will consist of four Officers
and 96 men from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. This
guard will be commanded by Major Shailendra Singh. Army contingent
will be commanded by Captain Arindam Ghosh and the Naval contingent
by Lt. AS Gudimani.
The Air
Force contingent will be led by Flying Officer KS Sawhney of 33
Sqn and the Delhi Police contingent by ACP Rajendra Prasad Meena.
Guard of Honour for the
National Flag
The Guard of Honour
for the National Flag will be commanded by Lt Col Paramveer Yadav.
It will have 32 men and one officer each from the three Services
and Delhi Police. The Army contingent will be commanded by Major
Prashant Nair. The Naval contingent is being led by Lt. Commander
KM Bankolli and the Air Force contingent by Sqn Ldr Dinesh Singh.
The contingent of Delhi Police would be commanded by Addl DCP
Ravinder Singh Yadav. The Guard will be positioned directly in
front of the National Flag across the moat below the ramparts.
NCC Cadets and School Children
1800 Junior
Division Cadets Of NCC from Delhi Directorate comprising Army,
Navy, Air Force and Girls wings are participating in the Flag
Hoisting Ceremony this year. These cadets will also participate
in the singing of National Anthem alongwith the school children.
About 13,500
school children from 40 schools under the Directorate of Education,
National Capital Territory of Delhi will take part in the Independence
Day ceremony at the Red Fort. Of them, 3500 will sing patriotic
songs and the National Anthem alongwith NCC cadets. The remaining
10,000 will sit in the enclosure as spectators. The school children
will also sing 14 patriotic songs in Hindi, Punjabi, Manipuri
and other regional languages. These songs are written by Mohammad
Iqbal , Shyam Lal Parshad and others.
The Naval
band comprising 26 musicians and conducted by J G Das, Master
Chief Petty Officer Musician will provide accompaniment to the
school children and NCC Cadets while singing the National Anthem.
The Air Force band conducted by Warrant Officer A Augustine will
perform for school children.
