Republic Day Manipal

The 26th of January, 2015, saw KMC Greens decorated with twenty marching contingents, as part of the Republic Day celebrations conducted by the School of Communication. The event commenced at 9am with the Chief Guest, Dr. Ramnarayan, Vice Chancellor of Manipal University, hoisting the tricolor and delivering his address. A mixed bag of institutions was represented by their own marching teams, including participation from colleges, faculty, security as well as Asare- a helping hand to specially-abled citizens. 66; years ago, it was deemed impossible for a torn nation to pen down rules to govern its masses, and yet it was done. The participation of Asare embodies that very spirit of bravery and dedication, for “sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of, who do the things that no one can imagine.” They were greeted with well-deserved admiration and applause. The march-past was a sight to behold, with teams of dedicated individuals moving in seamless synchronization, wearing uniforms on their bodies and pride in their eyes. Ananya V. Rao, a fourth year MIT student and ex-Senior Under-Officer of the NCC, trained the marching team representing Manipal Institute of Technology. He said, “We practiced two hours daily for a week until the final event. This is the first time NCC isn’trepresenting MIT, and considering that, we had a very good student response.” Following the parade was a cultural program comprising a song and a power-packed dance. The former saw students crooning Tagore’s immortal ‘Ekla Cholo Re’. KMC was declared the Best Marching Contingent, followed by many cheers and a few sighs. The event concluded with a satisfied audience, and a flag flying high, with the wind merely fluttering its fabric; leaving the tricolor’s ethics constant and ironclad.