To mark International Human Rights Day, more than 2,500 tribal students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) joined hands to form a human chain (picture above) that stretched over 30km in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The feat has made it to the Guinness World Records as the longest human chain formed by indigenous people.
The event was organised in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the theme of "joining hands against terrorism - Urge for world peace".
The students stood hand in hand from Governor House circle and the human chain continued across AG Square, Forest Park, Airport Square, Sishu Bhawan Square, Rajmahal Square, Master Canteen Square, Ram Mandir Square, Bhoumanagar Square, Sainik School, Kalinga Hosiptal Square to KISS and Jayadev Vihar to Kalinga Stadium, where it culminated.
While Governor S.C. Jamir joined politicians, bureaucrats, television personalities and several other celebrities in cheering the effort, the ordinary man on the street also encouraged and praised the students for their record-breaking feat.
Apart from the human chain, the students also formed the largest human sentence. The KISS students arranged themselves in a massive human formation that read: "We urge for world peace". In all 15,225 students were involved in the effort.
Guinness World Records official Fortuna Lisa Burke, who was present with her team of auditors and sub-auditors to witness the spectacle, certified it as a new world record for the 'largest human sentence'. The record was earlier held by 6,958 Dubai residents, said a KISS staff.
"The students also clinched another world record for the 'most simultaneous high-fives'. In all, 25,151 students participated in this vent certified by the Guinness World Records. The previous record had involved 7,238 people in Canada. Sources said that it is rare for any individual, organisation or group to achieve two Guinness World Records titles at the same event on a single day," said KISS founder Achyuta Samanta.
The valedictory ceremony was hosted at Kalinga Stadium, where chief minister Naveen Patnaik lauded the students and the institute for the world records. "There was a slight chill in the morning, but we were determined to achieve the feat," said Jamuna, a student.
Text by Namita Panda, picture by Sanjib Mukherjee.
