IIM Raipur, IIT Bhillai and GEC, under the initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development, came together to celebrate Independence Day in a grand way which lasted a fortnight. The mega event, rightly christened as ‘Freedom Fortnight’ was celebrated from 9th to 23rd August, 2016 with the closing ceremony being celebrated on a cheerful note. The chief guest of the event was Hon’ble Governor of Chhattisgarh, Shri Balramji Dass Tandon. The event was also attended by Dr. B. S.Sahay, Director, IIM Raipur; Dr. A. K. Dubey, Principal,GEC; Dr. Amirtham Rajagopal, Associate Professor, IIT Bhillai and Dr. Atri Sengupta,Chairperson Student Affairs, IIM Raipur.
The Chief Guest of the event, the Governor, Shri Balramji Dass Tandon, expressed his delight on being a part of the closing ceremony of the Freedom Fortnight organized collectively by IIM Raipur, IIT Bhilai and GEC Raipur. He stressed upon the contributions being made by the youth and the government towards strengthening and expansion of our country. He praised the initiatives like Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao which are essential in the solidification of our society. He added that to serve the country we need not be a part of the armed forces. We can always serve the nation by doing what we do to the best of our capabilities. The thought process of every citizen working in different industries should be inclined towards making India a self-sufficient nation.
Dr. B.S.Sahay, Director of IIM Raipur, applauded the efforts made by the faculty, administration and students of all the three institutes. He quoted the former president, Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, on the idea of how good thinking leads to positivity and progress and also appreciated the government’s initiatives such as Make in India, Skill India, Digital India and Clean India for nation building. He enthusiastically mentioned the fact that around 27 crore Indian students from all over the country sang the National Anthem at exactly 11 amduring the celebrations.
The vote of thanks was given by Dr. A.K. Dubey, Principal, GEC. He thanked the Honourable Governor for gracing the event. He also expressed his gratitude towards the heads, faculty and students of all the three institutions for participating and making the Freedom Fortnight a huge success.
Earlier in the day, the event started with an electrifying performance by the music band ofIIM Raipur which was followed by a thought provoking speech by Nishant Joshi, of IIM Raipur, on the meaning of Independence. The event witnessed a mesmerising dance performance by the students of IIT Bhilai. To stir the feeling of patriotism in each and every one present at the closing ceremony, there was a beautiful poetry recitation by Anuj Sabrawal, a PGP 1 st year student of IIM Raipur. It was followed by an inspiring play, Vijay, by the students of IIT Bhilai.
The Freedom Fortnight extravaganza was conducted from 9th to 23rd August, 2016 and it encompassed a gamut of activities organised over a fortnight. It started with a slogan writing competition on the 9 th of August in which Anuj Sabarwal of IIM Raipur bagged the 1 st prize. The debate competition held on 11 th August left everyone spellbound by the views presented by the paticipants among whom Nishant Joshi of IIM Raipur was adjudged the winner. This In addition to academic events, activities like tree plantation and cleanliness drive were also organised. These initiatives received huge participation from the excited students of all the three institutes. By means of these initiatives, students were able to spread awareness about nature and sanitation. A Freedom Run was also organised to commemorate and celebrate the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters. On Independence Day, the three institutes hoisted the national flag and staged cultural performances. The students were very happy to participate in group dance competition, drama competition and poetry recitation. The scintillating band performance lifted the spirit of both students and faculty alike. In the second leg of Freedom Fortnight, events like rangoli competition, essay and poem writing competitions, Independence Day quiz and many more activities were organized.
Suyash Tiwari, a student of GEC Raipur, said "It has been a great experience to participate with the students of all the three institutes. Also, the honourable Governor's speech on the importance of our role as future technocrats was inspiring". Speaking on similar lines, Pawan Kumar, a student of IIT Bhilai, spoke about the great experience he had in participating in the various events especially the skit. He felt that The Freedom Fortnight for essential to bring the students of the three institutes together and in building unity and harmony among them. Sagar Kothari, a student of IIM Raipur looked visibly thrilled by the fortnight celebrations.When asked for his comments, he said that, “The events were very engaging and inspiring.There is a lot to learn about our country and events like these would go a long way in imprinting on our minds the history of our country and in acknowledging the sacrifices made by great freedom fighters.”
At the end of this fortnight celebrations the students and faculty of the three institutes appeared to be very exultant and were emerged in patriotic fervour. Such a celebration would surely leave behind a mark on their hearts for a very long time. The collaboration of the three institutes was a great success.
