August 8: Get ready for tomorrow's state-sponsored Kranti Divas celebrations at the August Kranti maidan where hundreds of artistes will enact scenes from India's freedom struggle. Don't be surprised if it opens with a Bollywoodish `mera Bharat mahan' kind of anthem, complete with a band of singing girls and guys, doing a wee bit of those pelvic thrusts. What to do? In the 50th year of Independence, we are like this only. Not that any of the VIP personages like the Governor, the chief minister , the state cultural affairs minister and Gandhian Ushaben Mehta who had a sneak preview took offence. ``It has the spirit of the struggle,'' commented Ushaben who found the show fabulous.Beginning with the landing of Vasco Da Gama, the drama unfolds with the Rani of Jhansi on horse back. Only, the Rani is being played by a man. Mounted lavishly, with an expenditure of almost a crore of rupees, the display includes horses, motorcycles and tear gas shells in its extravaganza. The mandap itself is amazing in its decor, though it could with a few more fans.Jumping through the episodes, one saw a safari suit-clad `Gandhi' lead the salt satyagraha and a jeans-clad woman play `Aruna Asaf Ali' and hoist the flag at the Gowalia tank. However directors Purushottam Bendre and Waman Kendre have a long way to go with the rehearsals to get the murder of Gen. Sanders right or the dancers in step.Not much of this was however missed by the numerous freedom fighters who had gathered at the Martyrs Memorial. With most of them filing into the narrow passage towards the Martyrs Memorial, a mild stampede ensued when an elderly man lost balance and tipped over. ``Why is he there?'' asked one of them to nobody in particular, but pointing out to the chief minister Manohar Joshi, the deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, state labour minister Sabir Sheikh all of whom had gathered at the memorial along with freedom fighters like Usha Mehta, former governor of Maharashtra, C Subramaniam, noted Gandhian Dr Sushila Nayar, former President of India R Venkataraman and the sprightly Capt Laxmi Sahgal of the Indian National Army.The chief minister welcomed them as the backbone of the functions to be held tomorrow.
