THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of the celebrations for Independence Day, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raised the flag at the Central Stadium in this city at 9 a.m, on August 15.
Security has been beefed up for the event in the State's capital, police said. At the Independence Day parade, the Chief minister led the salute and awarded the top parade contingents with service medals and rolling trophies.
The Malabar Special Police, Special Armed Police, India Reserve Battalion, Kerala Fire and Rescue Service, Sainik School, National Cadet Corps, Student Police Cadets, and Bharat Scouts and Guides are just a few of the 12 armed and unarmed contingents that participated in the march.
The parade commander is P. Nidhin Raj, ASP, Thalassery, while the second-in-command is Biju Divakaran, Assistant Commandant, 5th Battalion, KAP. The Chief Minister awarded 67 medals, including those for the police force, the fire department, and the penal system. Along with the awards for the parade contingents, he also presented four Uttam Jeevan Raksha Pathak and one Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Pathak.
The performance featured schoolchildren performing patriotic songs and an equestrian display by NCC cadets. "As residents of the world's largest democracy, it is our obligation to defend the loftiest democratic values by cherishing our freedom and equality and by trying to ensure more dignity for every citizen," Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said in a message.
The Chief Minister said India was shaped by democratic and anti-imperialist ideals. The Independence Day celebration is an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to the values that were the driving forces behind the freedom struggle and to strengthening democracy and secularism.
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