Srinagar: Expressing disappointment over very few civilians attending the Independence Day function at Bakshi Stadium here, Uttar Pradesh Police contingent, which took part in the parade, said the day was celebrated as a festival in rest of the country.
“It is very disappointing that very few people have turned up to attend the Independence Day function here. The place we come from, the day is celebrated as a festival,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sheodan Singh, who led the UP Police contingent in the state level official parade.
Singh hoped that more people will come out and participate in the ID function. “It could be because of the situation and threat perception that people have not come out to attend the parade, but hopefully things will change and more people will be in the stadium for the event in the future,” he added. Talking about his experience in the Valley, he said everyone in his team was excited to be here and participate in the parade.
“We came here on July 31 and from August 1, we started rehearsing for the parade. It is an all together different experience than what we have back in UP. The weather here is very pleasant, so it was easy for us to practice for the parade,” he added.
When asked if they have visited any tourist place during their stay in the Valley, he said they have been busy with the practice, but expressed hope that they would be allowed to checkout some of the famous places before going back to UP. This is for the first time contingent of any other state participated in the ID parade here.
