FLY PAST: Coast Guard helicopters displaying the tricolour during the Republic Day celebrations held in Chennai on Thursday. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Feelings of patriotism, national integration and communal harmony pervaded the 57th Republic Day celebrations as Governor Surjit Singh Barnala unfurled the national flag and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa presented gallantry awards here on Thursday.

Mr. Barnala took the salute at the ceremonial march past followed by a flypast by Indian Air Force jets. Contingents including those from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Railway Protection Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Chennai City Police, Tamil Nadu Commando Force, Tamil Nadu Fire Service, Home Guard, NCC and ex-servicemen and Bharat Scouts took part in the march past.

The Governor, in his message said: "Peace and harmony are the watchwords for development. I am happy to say that Tamil Nadu is a place of peace and harmony and has a conducive atmosphere with adequate infrastructure for starting of new industries and business." He expressed the hope that by the "combined and dedicated efforts of all, the vision of Tamil Nadu becoming the Number One State in our country is not far off."

Gallantry awards

Ms. Jayalalithaa distributed Anna Medals for Gallantry, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak Award and Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award at the function.

She presented the Mahatma Gandhi Police Medals to Sub-Inspector (Law and Order, Andipatti) K. Muthukumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Organised Crime Unit CID, Coimbatore district) N. Palanisamy, and Sub-Inspector (Prohibition Enforcement Wing, Salem district) M.Chandrasekaran, for their outstanding work in curbing illicit liquor trade.

Students belonging to four schools and three colleges presented `dandiya', bharatanatyam, `karagam' and folk dances based on national integration and communal harmony. Artists from the South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, and the Information and Public Relations Department presented programmes on `Mathuri', `Thappattam', `Devarattam' and `Nayyandi Melam.' Self-help group members took part in a streetplay organised by the Corporation for Development of Women stressing the importance of empowerment of women.

In all, 17 departments including Information and Public Relations, Tourism, Police, Agriculture, Rural Development, Corporation for Development of Women, Industries, Horticulture, Adi Dravidar Welfare and Fisheries took part in the pageantry of floats highlighting Government programmes.

The float of the Corporation on development of women won the first prize. The Social Welfare Department's float bagged the second prize and the Fisheries Department won the third prize. Among the schools and colleges in Chennai, which participated in the carnival of students, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar, was adjudged the best. The second and third prizes went to Adharsh Vidyalaya Girls Higher Secondary School and Manilal M. Metha Girls Higher Secondary School.

Ministers, legislators, officials and diplomats were present.

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