Rajasthan
Rajasthan Day celebrations scaled down as Congress protests Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: The Congress party’s protest against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha clipped to bare minimum the elaborate celebrations planned for the Rajasthan Day on March 30.
The tourism department cancelled most of the cultural activities across blocks, districts, divisions and in the state capital. The mega extravaganza was aimed at creating a feel-good factor among the voters before the assembly election later this year.
The department had planned to spend around Rs 20 crore for the celebrations across the state by combining Rajasthan Day and Rajasthan Sanskritik Divas. For the celebrations in Jaipur, it had issued tenders worth Rs 2.5 crore. But sources in the department said that the activities were scaled down significantly, following the Rahul Gandhi fiasco. The cultural extravaganza at Albert Hall was expected to be attended by 12500 people including 2500 VIPs and VVIPs representing the senior political leaders and the bureaucracy.
A grand show was planned having a well-choreographed mass performance by 250 folk artists and kathak dancers, contemporary dancers performance of Rajasthan. Live fusion performances by indigenous and popular folk bands of Rajasthan (Kutle Khan, Rajasthan Roots, Nathu Solanki, Gazi Khan with Manganiyar children) were drafted in.
While department officials attributed the downsizing to political reasons, they did not give details of which parts of the cultural programmes were cancelled.
“It will be a small celebration with much of the mega plans remaining cancelled. In fact, we don’t know even know the political leaders who would be attending the show. It’s bit disappointment because the department had been working towards it for quite some time,” said a tourism department official.
Folk dance forms like Kathak, Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Terataali, Bhawai, Chari, Chang Dhaap, Gair, tribal dances, fire throwers were curated for the show. Mojo barricading, signages, scrolls, ushers, etc.
The tourism department cancelled most of the cultural activities across blocks, districts, divisions and in the state capital. The mega extravaganza was aimed at creating a feel-good factor among the voters before the assembly election later this year.
The department had planned to spend around Rs 20 crore for the celebrations across the state by combining Rajasthan Day and Rajasthan Sanskritik Divas. For the celebrations in Jaipur, it had issued tenders worth Rs 2.5 crore. But sources in the department said that the activities were scaled down significantly, following the Rahul Gandhi fiasco. The cultural extravaganza at Albert Hall was expected to be attended by 12500 people including 2500 VIPs and VVIPs representing the senior political leaders and the bureaucracy.
A grand show was planned having a well-choreographed mass performance by 250 folk artists and kathak dancers, contemporary dancers performance of Rajasthan. Live fusion performances by indigenous and popular folk bands of Rajasthan (Kutle Khan, Rajasthan Roots, Nathu Solanki, Gazi Khan with Manganiyar children) were drafted in.
While department officials attributed the downsizing to political reasons, they did not give details of which parts of the cultural programmes were cancelled.
“It will be a small celebration with much of the mega plans remaining cancelled. In fact, we don’t know even know the political leaders who would be attending the show. It’s bit disappointment because the department had been working towards it for quite some time,” said a tourism department official.
Folk dance forms like Kathak, Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Terataali, Bhawai, Chari, Chang Dhaap, Gair, tribal dances, fire throwers were curated for the show. Mojo barricading, signages, scrolls, ushers, etc.
