At 1,220, they are a battalion strong. Only the finest 100 of them make the grade to go on the stately march down Rajpath. The “warships” of the desert — the Border Security Force camels — come to Delhi in all glory and regalia from the Rajasthan and Gujarat frontiers for the Republic Day parade. From the time they arrived this time, it had been training, training and more training on a ground at the Delhi Cantonment for almost three months, stopping only for sleeping and munching on compost feed and cluster beans powder. Each takes in 10 kg a day.
As the training begins at 4.30 a.m. with devotional songs, Sangram, or the warrior who leads, steps ahead. It’s the last outing of this long-time “commander”, and he wants to bow out in a hail of glory. Sangram helps in training the new Sangram, a Jaisalmeri breed. But, at times, the two get into duels. Tactful handling usually enforces a truce.
“Sir ji , be careful,” warns Kalu Singh, head constable who has been handling the old Sangram for a decade. “ Hamare ek constable ko to abhi ek hafte pahle hi kata hai, inke mood se bach ke rahna padta hai (We need to be careful of its mood swings. He bit our constable last week).” Till the big day arrives, when the camels slip into the ₹30,000 ceremonial costume, the days go by in this routine. During breaks from training, man and beast bond. As with all relationships, trust and mutual dependence glue them together.
The camel contingent — which traces back its provenance to Bikaner, whose founder Rao Bika raised a camel regiment in 1465 — has been part of every Republic Day. In 1975, the Army handed over its camels to the BSF, and since then, the paramilitary force has been presenting the contingent.
Talent and gait won the new Sangram his place. The young warrior has earned his spurs.
Text and images by Prashant Nakwe
Best buddies: In the heart of the national capital, a long way from his desert camp, Camel Raju tries to nuzzle up against his BSF handler, Hawaldar Gopal Singh, in the grey of dawn before parade training begins. Trust and mutual dependence underpin the relationship between the camel and its handler.
Reveille in the camp: The camels rise before dawn for the long training ahead.
Sabre-rattling: Sangram and Sangram Jr have a go at each other. The handlers broker a truce, inured as they are to the mood swings that camels are infamous for.
Flag-bearer: After putting Sangram Jr through the paces during a hard day’s rehearsal, Commandant Kuldeep Chaudhary pats his charge. On his first day on Rajpath, Sangram Jr acquitted himself well, a trait that made the BSF choose him as the successor of Sangram as “commander” of the camel contingent.
Transition time: Sangram Jr and Sangram stand at ease. The former, a Jaisalmeri breed, is the new leader of the camel contingent for Republic Day.
Bulletproof reliability: Sometimes, during conflict, it’s just the camel that stands between a soldier and an enemy bullet.
Versatile warriors: On all fours and on song, camels show why they are indispensable in guarding the borders in the unforgiving desert. The call of duty includes crawling near the border lines to evade detection, charging through sandstorms and carrying arms and ammunition for miles in the harsh sun.
On their mark: A camel and its handler walk in tandem during an early-morning warm-up exercise.
The king of all he surveys: Sangram Jr., the commander of the camel contingent of the BSF at the Republic Day parade, in a moment of repose.