INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS AT RED FORT
The Prime Minister
Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee will unfurl the National Flag on the
ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, on the occasion of the
57th Independence Day and will address the nation.
On arrival at Lahore
Gate of Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by the Defence
Minister Shri George Fernandes, Minister of State for Defence
Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister of State for Defence Production
and Supplies Shri O Rajagopal and Defence Secretary
Shri Ajay Prasad. Defence Secretary will introduce General Officer
Commanding Delhi Area, Major General Mathew Thomas 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 Behari 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 Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, Minister
of State for Defence Production and Supplies Shri O Rajagopal
Chief of Army Staff Gen N C Vij, 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. Lt. Parikshit Singh Kanwar of Indian Navy will assist
the Prime Minister in unfurling of the National Flag.
The combined inter-services
and Delhi Police guard will present national salute to the National
Flag. The Naval band will play National Anthem when the national
guard presents Rashtriya Salute whilst unfurling of the National
Flag by the Prime Minister. The Naval band will be conducted by
Narayan Singh Rawat, Master Chief Petty Officer Musician 1st
Class. The Ceremonial Field Battery 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 have four Officers and 96 men
from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. The Guard is
being commanded by Lt. Commander Sreedhar Kotra. The Army contingent
will be commanded by Captain Manoj A P, Air Force Contingent by
Flt Lt Biswajit Biswas and the Naval contingent by Lt. Vijay Chaudhary.
The Air Force band is being conducted by Warrant Officer GK Nair,
The Delhi Police Contingent will be commanded by Shri Ashok Malik,
ACP.
Guard of Honour
for the National Flag
The Guard of Honour
for the National Flag will be commanded by Commander Shardul Rautela.
It will have 32 men and one officer each from the three Services
and Delhi Police. The Army contingent will be commanded
by Major Vijay Bakshi, Air Force Contingent by Sqn Ldr R Lamba
and the Naval contingent by Lt. Commander Jayant S Konde. The
Delhi Police Contingent will be commanded by Shri Anurag Kumar,
Addl DCP. The Guard will be positioned directly in front
of the National Flag across the moat below the ramparts.
NCC Cadets and
School Children
Five Hundred
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 3,500 school
children from 45 schools under the Directorate of Education, National
Capital Territory of Delhi will take part in the Independence
Day ceremony at the Red Fort. These children will sing patriotic
songs and the National Anthem alongwith NCC cadets. The children
will be seated in the shape forming the map of India. The lower
portion of the map will show the beautiful oceans, the middle
portion will represent the beautiful earth and the upper portion
will represent peace with white colour.
