Gandhi’s favourite ‘Abide with Me’ left off Beating Retreat

| | New Delhi
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Gandhi’s favourite ‘Abide with Me’ left off Beating Retreat

Sunday, 23 January 2022 | PNS | New Delhi

Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite tune “Abide With Me” will not figure in this year’s Beating the Retreat Ceremony on Rajpath on January 29. 

This hymn played at the annual ceremony since 1950 was omitted in 2020 but was included later following criticism from various quarters.

Incidentally, this development on Saturday came a day after a political slugfest over the shifting of the Amar Jawan Jyoti from the India Gate to the newly constructed National War Memorial (NWM).

Veterans and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi said the extinguishing of the Amar Jawan Jyoti was an insult to the fallen soldiers.  However, the Government refuted the charge and said the flame was not extinguished and instead merged into the eternal flame at the NWM.

“Abide With Me” is a hymn that was written by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte in 1847 while battling tuberculosis.  It is a prayer urging God to remain with the speaker through life and in death.

A favourite of Gandhiji, this tune is played at the end of the Beating the Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk every year.  The Retreat, an ancient military tradition, signals the end of fighting for the day, with soldiers sheathing arms and withdrawing from the battlefield.  The hymn is set to the tune of Eventide by William Henry Monk.

This year’s ceremony will begin with “Fanfare” by Buglers, followed by “Veer Sainik” by the Massed Bands and six tunes by the Pipes and Drums band. Bands of the Central Armed Police Forces will play three tunes, followed by four tunes by the Air Force Band, which will include a special “Ladakoo” tune, by Flight Lt L S Rupachandra.

The Navy Band will play four tunes, after which the Army Military Band will play three tunes — “Kerala,” “Siki A Mole” and “Hind Ki Sena.” The Massed Bands will play three more tunes near the end, including “Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja,””Drummers Call,” and “Ae Mere WatanKe Logon.”

The ceremony will end with “Sare Jahan Se Accha” by the Buglers. The entire event will see the participation of 44 buglers, 16 trumpeters, and 75 drummers.

The Beating the Retreat ceremony this year will also see more than 1,000 drones performing a laser show for the first time at the Vijay Chowk after the function.  With this India will join the niche group of countries having the capability to launch so many drones for an event of this magnitude.  The other nations are the US, China and Russia.

The drones show is brainchild of a start-up venture of the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Delhi.  Botlab, a startup from IIT-Delhi, will put up the drone show with nearly 1,000 drones.  It will be themed on 75 years of Independence.

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