Teenaged special youngster Akshara brought the super busy Ameerpet metro interchange to near grinding halt with passengers transfixed to her spell binding self-choreographed classical dance. This was followed by an equally alluring song and dance show by school children to ‘Jai Ho’ and ‘Mera Desh Rangeela’ songs.
For almost an hour or so, the giant overhead station linking Red Line (LB Nagar to Miyapur) and Blue Line (Nagole-Raidurg) on two decks and a special metro train service towards Miyapur reverberated with patriotic slogans and singing of the national anthem during the joyride organised for 60 children of the Twinkle Star School and specially abled children of Swayamkrushi orphanage on Tuesday morning.
In fact, all the 55 metro trains running on the three corridors including Green Line – JBS to MGBS were stopped for 52 seconds at 11.30 a.m. for mass rendition of the national anthem inside metro trains and at stations.
The programme hosted by the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and ‘Swatantra Bharatha Vajrotsavalu’ saw bespectacled 12-year-old-Ganesh shouting full throated slogans – Bharat Mata Ki Jai...Vande Mataram” making his school mates to chorus in unison all through the journey.
For him or class 1 Ashwita and Nagaraj, this was not their first metro ride but, they enjoyed this free ride thoroughly. “We did gain political independence thanks to the self-less sacrifices of our freedom fighters. We also need to have economic independence to take care of the underprivileged, health care for all and education for the young. Freedom of commute too is important and this possible only through public transport as not everyone can afford cars or two-wheelers,” said HMR MD N.V.S. Reddy.
L&TMRH CEO and MD K.V.B. Reddy said Hyderabad metro is inching towards being “self-reliant” with the help of HMR and the state government. The national flag was hoisted in all metro stations and bedecked with tricolours for the Independence Day. “We are indeed proud to be a vital contributor in providing the lifeline and mobility to our city of pearls,” he said. A drawing exhibition by the students was also held on the occasion.
