National
Condolence meetings mark R-Day in Gujarat
By Manas Dasgupta
TEARFUL HOMAGE: A woman cries at Bhuj, in Gujarat, during a ceremony on Saturday for the victims of last year's killer earthquake. - AP
GANDHINAGAR, JAN. 26. Condolence and prayer meetings in memory of those killed in last year's earthquake and protest meetings and bandhs against alleged failure of the Government to rehabilitate the affected were the highlights of the day overtaking the Republic Day celebrations in Gujarat.
The usual ceremonies on the occasion of the Republic Day remained subdued and were accompanied by memorial services reminding people of the catastrophe on this day last year.
The most poignant ceremony was held at Khatri Chowk in Anjar town in Kutch district where some 400 school children and teachers had perished under the debris while taking out a Republic Day rally. At the dot of 8.46 a.m., when the killer-quake struck last year, the Anjar municipality sounded a bugle and the entire town observed silence for two minutes in memory of the school children and other victims.
At Khatri Chowk, a special puja was organised with the parents of the deceased children amidst chanting of Vedic slokas. Incidentally there was no Republic Day rally this year.
All the four worst-hit towns in Kutch district, Bhuj, Bhachau, Anjar and Rapar, observed complete ``bandh'' in protest against the Government's ``failure'' to rehabilitate the victims.
The Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, after attending the official function in Gandhinagar where the Governor, Sunder Singh Bhandari, hoisted the national flag, flew in to Bhuj, the district headquarters of Kutch, to be with the affected for two days.
Mr. Modi, who led the Republic Day ceremonies in Bhuj, participated in the ``Dharti Mata Pujan'' to appease mother Earth and paid homage to the deceased school children at Anjar. He had to face black-flag demonstrations at several places in the district. The symbolic distribution of plots to mark the launch of urban rehabilitation, however, were boycotted by most of the affected in the four towns.
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