Surprise for students, relief for cops
Tuesday, August 15th, 2006
New Delhi - India's main independence day celebration ended with a surprise bonanza for thousands of school students who spent the night on the Red Fort ground to cheer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday: each of them got as gifts a wrist watch and a raincoat.
After the gifts were given away by the defence ministry, which organizes the annual show at the 17th-century Mughal monument, Sheetal Samriwal, a Class 3 student of the Government Girls School in Seemapuri area told IANS: 'I did not expect to get a watch. I wanted a watch for a long time.'
'Some of us were given raincoats. I already have a raincoat so I don't know what to do with this one,' said Prakash Thapa, a National Cadet Corp cadet.
An estimated 3,500 children, drawn from government schools in Delhi, were among the crowd and they kept clapping as the prime minister addressed the nation to mark India's 59th independence anniversary.
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The hundreds of Delhi policemen heaved a sigh of relief after the event ended, and the prime minister left the area that had been turned into a fortress for over a week.
'We have been working long hours for the past 15 days. We can rest for some time,' a constable said.
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Apart from thousands invited for the official event, there were many who were on the roads beyond the heavily guarded ground to get a glimpse of the prime minister.
'I wanted to see Manmohan Singh but the policemen did not allow me,' rued 11-year-old Munna, who works at a tea stall in Chandni Chowk area, which faces the imposing Red Fort monument.
For some others the celebrations were a nightmare.
Mohammed Ismail, who has lived on the pavement outside the Jama Masjid since 1989, was taken to the police station for questioning. 'I had to spend the night there,' Ismail complained to IANS.
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It was evident that the schoolchildren listened to the prime minister very attentively.
The number and intensity of clapping increased every time Manmohan Singh touched upon issues such as subsidies, terrorism and reservation for students from backward sections in educational institutions. The prime minister's reference to the health of children was warmly received.
'I liked the prime minister's speech because he spoke about equal rights for all,' said eight-year-old Raghav of a school at Seemapuri.
Not all students were equally attentive during the 48-minute speech. 'We did not listen to the entire speech. We just clapped when the others did,' said Tarun Kumar, an NCC cadet.
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Bollywood songs ruled the celebrations. When an enthusiastic reporter with a television news channel asked a group of children to sing a patriotic song for the cameras, the children broke into a Himesh Reshammiya number.
'Naam hai tera tera,' the students sang in chorus.
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now we can say Himeshji has the whole nation singing his " patriotic song "
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http://indiaenews.com/2006-08/18595-students-relief-cops.htm
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