India’s 68th Republic Day was celebrated here on Thursday with a display of military strength and cultural diversity in the presence of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the chief guest.
Early morning rain and an intermittent drizzle at Rajpath failed to dampen the spirit as the elite Black Cat commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the indigenously built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) made their debut at the parade. Both received loud cheers from the public.
This is the first time in over three decades that an indigenous fighter aircraft has flown on Rajpath since the Marut developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in the 1960s.
A 149-member marching contingent from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), led by a band of 35 musicians, was unique to this year’s parade. Last year, a French contingent marched on Rajpath, the first by a foreign Army.
The India’s ceremonial boulevard was filled with myriad colours and music, with 17 tableaux from States and Union Territories, six Central ministries and departments and cultural performances by schoolchildren. The tableaux representing Jammu and Kashmir received much applause as it showcased tourism in the State and had a machine that created artificial snow. Haryana’s theme of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, with statues of Kalpana Chawla, Sakshi Malik and Deepa Malik, was also appreciated by the crowd.
The Central government highlighted the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Khadi, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Clean India-Green India, Skill Development through its tableaux. Twenty-one of the 25 children who won the National Bravery Award participated in the parade. The parade was commanded by Lt.Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area.
The marching contingents of the Army included horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, the Bihar Regiment, the 39 Gorkha Training Centre, 58 Gorkha Training Centre, the Madras Engineering Group and Centre and 103 Infantry Battalion.
Indigenous platforms
The Navy contingent comprised 144 young sailors. It was led by Lieutenant Aparna Nair. The 144-member Air Force contingent was led by Squadron Leader Attal Singh Sekhon. The paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces included the Border Security Force’s Camel Contingent, the Indian Coast Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Delhi Police, the National Cadet Corps and the National Service Scheme.
There were several indigenous platforms among the mechanised columns that took part in the parade. These included the Dhanush upgraded long-range artillery guns, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Akash surface-to-air missile system.
