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A Village Burnt Overnight: Tears, Loss and Survival in Dhamangaon Blaze

  Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...

Republic Day Parade – 2014 Awards Announced Territorial Army (Sikh Li) Adjudged Best Marching Contingent Amongst Services

Republic Day Parade

The results of different competitive presentation in the Republic Day Parade – 2014 have been announced by the Ministry of Defence. Among the Services category, Territorial Army (Sikh LI) has been adjudged the best marching contingent in the Republic Day Parade – 2014. In the category of Para-Military Forces and other auxiliary marching contingents, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingent has been adjudged the best contingent. 

In the tableaux category, in total 18 tableaux including five from Union Ministries / Departments took part in the Republic Day Parade – 2014, out of which first position has gone to West Bengal Tableau, which depicted the famous Purulia Chhau Dance. While Tamil Nadu’s tableau on Pongal festival was adjudged the second best, third position has gone in favour of Assam Tableau based on the contribution of legendary folk singer, composer and writer and Padma Vibhusan Award Winner Dr Bhupen Hazarika to Assam’s folk culture. 

While, in the competitive category of school children items the dance presented by Navy Children School, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi has been adjudged the best children item, a Consolation Prize was awarded to Govt Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Hastsal, New Delhi, for their beautiful portrayal of traditional Folk Dance of Chhattisgarh. The Tableau presented by the CPWD giving a majestic floral depiction of Rajpath also has been selected for a Special Prize by the Jury. 

As in previous years, this year also Ministry of Defence had appointed three panels of judges for assessing the marching contingents from three Services, Para-Military Forces and tableaux from various Ministries/Departments and School Children items from Schools of Delhi as well as outside Delhi. The panels of judges today announced their results here. All these above winning contingents, tableaux and schools will be awarded trophies and prizes by the Defence Minister later in separate functions organised by the Ministry of Defence. 

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