india

Updated: Jan 22, 2019 09:13 IST

After a gap of three years, the Indian Railways will make a comeback to the Republic Day parade on Saturday with its tableau depicting Gandhi’s life journey titled, “Mohan to Mahatma”, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

The tableau will also display 3D images of a bullet train, likely to be operational in India by 2022, and Train 18, billed as the fastest train in the country.

“Our tableau in 2015 with theme of ‘Indian Railways — On fast track to the future’ was showcased. However, after that our tableau could not make it to the final. In 2018, we celebrated 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the theme was selected to depict his journey from Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi,” said a railway official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

A train coach will depict Gandhi’s life journey — how a barrister became the Mahatma. The tableau will also carry a 6-ft statute of Gandhi “We will also put a 3D image of Train 18, which is being touted as the next generation train and is expected to project India as a train manufacturing hub,” the official added.

In 2016, the Railways’ tableau on the theme of connectivity to remote parts of the country and cleanliness was rejected by expert committee.

In 2014, the Pir Panjal tunnel, an 11-km long tunnel which connects Kashmir Valley with the Jammu region, was the theme of the tableau.

Seventeen states and Union territories will showcase their tableaux in the Rajpath parade as part of this year’s Republic Day celebrations. The selected states include Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, and Goa.

Tableaux of Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands will also be part of the Republic Day parade. Apart from them, six ministries — home ministry (CISF), housing and urban affairs (CPWD), Railways, power, drinking water and sanitation, and agriculture and farmers Welfare (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) — would also showcase tableaux.