Rafique Aziz
Aurangabad, Aug 14:
Independence Day is celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm in India and abroad every year. On the eve of 75th Independence Day, AurangabadFirst, spoke to few natives of Cantonment (or Chawani), to know their childhood memories of India's mega festival. For them, the August 15 celebration, hosted by the Aurangabad Cantonment Board (ACB), in a traditional way is afresh in their minds and golden moments to cherish. They demanded to restore it as it is need of the hour during today's materialistic world.
A resident and an educationist Mohammed Ibrahim, who has recently returned from Saudi Arabia after serving for more than a decade, points out, " All the schools (including privately-run) like Mulinchi Shala, Multipurpose High School, Aided Urdu Primary School, Holy Cross High School (English), Holy Cross High School (Marathi), Regimental High School (Hindi), Christ
Church High School, Little Flower High School, Milind Multipurpose English High School, etc would gather with students and teachers at the main function of ACB in Nehru Chowk. The rally or 'Prabhat Pheri' would be a centre of attraction as the students dressed in school uniforms would start arriving at the board's office campus from their schools in the early morning. They would walk in pairs, hold banners, big and small flags in their hands. The shouting of slogans would echo in the whole Cantonment area. Men, housewives, youths and kids would climb up their terraces or stand at their doorsteps or shops to witness the event and cheer the students."
Cantonment is popularly known as neither city nor village amongst the people staying in different parts of the city. Being an Army base, it has its own governance and administrative system, and local-self body (ACB). It is well-known for having a tradition of celebrating religious festivals, differently.
A resident and former vice president of ACB, Karansingh Kakas elaborated, " The main function would use to be held at main ACB office behind the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru statue (Nehru Chowk). It was mandatory upon all the schools (including private) to attend it and then hold the
August 15 celebrations in their respective schools. The respected personalities, apart from freedom fighters, were also invited to grace the function. The participation of students was the main attraction in the celebration. Their presence would create a positive vibrancy in the atmosphere. The board would distribute bananas, fruit, or biscuit packet etc to the students, who would then share it with their younger siblings at home. The traditional practice would use to instil a sense of pride in being a Chawanikar. Sadly, the ACB celebration got ended after shifting its office to the new building, which is across the busy national highway near Kham River, two decades ago. The childhood memories are still fresh in my mind and I feel proud that I was associated with the board. I will try my best to restore the practice of students' participation in future."
A native of Cantonment, who now stays in Dubai, Syed Mazharuddin adds, " The playing of patriotic songs since the daybreak on radio, loudspeakers, tape-recorders would act as a patriotism-booster. Our sanitary head, Subhedar Sahab, clad in a white dress and traditional turban (worn during the British period), would run helter-skelter in the area ensuring that the roads are litter-
free and cleaned up before sunrise on Independence Day. The hotels and restaurants in the area would put on displays offering discounts on the purchase of any kind of sweets. The students would rush to buy Pedas, Ladoos, Imartis, Jalebis, Bundis, Mysore Pak, etc during the day. Enjoying discounts on accessories and gadgets is less important than eating sweets at discounts during school days. It was less business done with love to develops a sense of pride of being an Indian."