Bengal governor unfurls tricolour at colourful parade

KOLKATA - West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan unfurled the national flag and took the salute at a colourful parade as the state joined the rest of the nation in celebrating the 62nd Republic Day Wednesday.

Military parades, march pasts, cultural programmes and blood donation camps marked the day which was celebrated in cities, towns and villages across the eastern state.

A large crowd watched in awe as the Republic Day parade was held on the arterial Indira Gandhi Sarani (erstwhile Red Road) in the city hub with the armed forces showcasing an impressive array of weapons, including the Igla-1 surface-to-air missile and T-72 tanks.

Army, navy and air force units, police and fire brigade personnel, school children and dance troupes regaled the spectators in the presence of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, ministers, bureaucrats, senior army officers, members of the diplomatic corps and other dignitaries.

The day was also celebrated at central and state government offices, including Kolkata Port Trust, South-eastern Railway and Eastern Railway, civic bodies and educational institutions.

Blood donation camps and sit-and-draw competitions were held at several places. Patriotic songs, dances and poetry recitation programmes were organised in localities across the state.