CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi on Friday unfurled the National Flag at the Marina on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day, in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin. An Indian Air Force helicopter showered rose petals on the gathering. Around 7.50 am, the chief minister arrived at the venue for the Republic Day parade and drove past the enclosures for invitees, greeting the public. Later, the CM received the governor at the saluting base.
During the ceremonial march past, the governor took the salute. The governor also paid homage to the martyrs at the War Memorial here.
A carnival of school and college students, apart from traditional cultural programmes, including Sambalpuri dance (Odisha), Siddi dance (tribal Karnataka), Lai Haroaba dance (Manipur), Silambattam, Karakattam, and Naiyyandimelam were the highlights of the celebrations.
The pageantry of floats, organised by 22 state departments, highlighted the state government’s various welfare schemes and achievements. The tableau by the Information Department had a portrait of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar in white robes. Recently, the governor had paid homage to a portrait of Thiruvallur in saffron robes and holy ash on his forehead, which evoked criticism from various quarters.
Governor hosts reception
Meanwhile, the governor organised a reception at the Raj Bhavan, which a delegation of ministers comprising Thangam Thenarasu, S Regupathy, TM Anbarasan, Ma Subramanian and PK Sekarbabu participated in. Union Minister L Murugan and former minister D Jayakumar of AIADMK also participated. BJP leader Karu Nagarajan also attended the event
Police officers, judges and eminent personalities from the state also participated in the event. Following cultural performances from various educational institutions, the governor presented awards to individuals who made significant contributions to society. Some of the significant awardees include NK Perumal of Gramya Bhavan for contributing to rural development and G Madhan Mohan of Thiruvannamalai for his contribution to education, water conservation and women empowerment.
V Thalaimalai of Rajpalayam, R Muthuraj of Madurai, G Damodharan of Dharmapuri and C Muthukrishnan of Tirunelveli were awarded for their efforts towards environmental protection, while N Ranjith Kumar of Theni and Kubendiran of Chennai were awarded for social service. Many others also received cash rewards and appreciation certificates.