People of Punganur set the tone a year ago, Pulicherla and Chowdepalle towns took a cue

It’s 8 AM and suddenly a siren blares from nowhere, followed by the national anthem from the public address (PA) system. People stop, come to attention and salute for the duration of the anthem. For a newcomer its a sudden surprise. For the denizens, however, its a conditioned response. This has been happening in the small town of Punganur in Chittoor district of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh.

Incredible? When Punganur started playing the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ through a PA system everyday from 15 August 2018, some thought the patriotic fervour would eventually die down in few days, or weeks at the most. However, the sceptics were proved wrong.

Thursday’s Independence Day fete marked the completion of a full year, with the national anthem having been played everyday, kindling patriotic fervour among denizens in the little town with a population of 65,000.

The brainchild of a small team of enthusiasts who came up with the idea of playing the national anthem in the town to provide continuous inspiration. Advocate P.N.S. Prakash formed a ‘Jana Mana Committee’ with like-minded people such as P. Ayub Khan, V. Deepak, N. Muthyalu, and C.V. Syamprasad to take the project forward. The Punganur municipality was roped in to give it an official tag and play the anthem regularly at 8 am everyday.

After the siren is blown at 8 am, the national anthem is played for 52 seconds, which is relayed across 5-6 km in the town. “After Ambedkar Circle, NTR Circle, Indiramma Circle, Thatimakulapalem, Taj Mahal Theatre Circle, and Chamundeswari circle, we have added Bazar Street and Punganur Palace yesterday, thus spreading the range,” says Municipal Commissioner K.L. Varma. As soon as the audio starts playing, people even in small lanes and bylanes come to attention and offer a salute. The national highway passing through the town also witnesses a similar scene. When traffic comes to a standstill, inmates of various vehicles alight to sing along. “The credit for making it a success goes to the people of Punganur, who have not only taken the initiative, but also exhibited the patriotic spirit throughout the year,” Punganur MLA and Minister for Panchayat Raj Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy told The Hindu.

Wave spreads

Meanwhile, the Punganur Arya Vysya Sangam volunteered to add their PA system to the network to relay the national anthem from Sri Vasavi temple. The fervour has caught up in the vicinity, as two nearby Panchayat towns Pulicherla and Chowdepalle started playing the national anthem from January 26 (Republic Day) and this August 15 respectively.