As the nation celebrates its 75th Republic Day on January 26 with French President Emmanuel Macron as the Chief Guest, making him the sixth French leader to grace this event, it gave a significant boost to Indo-French relations with Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding talks in Jaipur ahead of the grand parade.
The parade from Vijay Chowk to Kartavaya Path will see the contingents of the three wings of the armed forces – Army, Navy and Air Force – along with those of the police and paramilitary forces participating with the themes for the Republic Day celebrations this year being “Viksit Bharat” and “Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka,” emphasising India’s essential qualities as a democracy.
Coming in the year of elections to the Lok Sabha, it is indeed an occasion to celebrate democracy and showcase the country’s defence might, cultural richness and the nation’s unity in diversity with almost all the 28 states and eight Union Territories.
French President Macron arrived in Jaipur on January 25, and his itinerary included visits to prominent landmarks such as Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal. During his time in Jaipur, he held meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
Macron is accompanied by a ministerial delegation comprising Stephane Sejourne (Europe and Foreign Affairs), Sebastien Lecornu (Armed Forces), and Rachida Dati (culture), a C-level business delegation of French majors, SMEs and mid-caps and other eminent personalities, including ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
The 90-minute parade will start with the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade.
The arrival of the President of India and her French counterpart Macron will be escorted by the President’s Bodyguard – ‘Rashtrapati Ke Angrakshak’. The President’s Bodyguard is the senior most Regiment of the Indian Army. This Republic Day is special for this elite Regiment as the ‘Angrakshak’ have completed 250 years of service since its raising in 1773. The two Presidents will arrive in the ‘Traditional Buggy’, the practice which is making a comeback after a gap of 40 years.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute given with indigenous gun system 105-mm Indian Field Guns. Four Mi-17 IV helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path.
The parade will then commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Sumit Mehta, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.
For the first time ever, the parade will be heralded by over 100 women artists playing Indian musical instruments. The parade would commence with the music of Sankh, Naadswaram, Nagada to be played by women artists. It will also witness the maiden participation of an all-women Tri-Service contingent marching down the Kartavya Path. Women pilots will also enthrall the audience during the Fly-past, representing Nari Shakti. The contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will also consist of only women personnel.
In keeping with the government’s aim of giving increased representation to women in all walks of life and having got Parliamentary approval for giving 33 per cent reservation for women in all elected bodies, the parade will for the first time see an All-Women Tri-Services Group comprising women troops from the Army’s military police and personnel from the other two services,
This historic contingent will include women troops from the Army’s military police, as well as women from the other two services.
The parade will see two of the three living Param Vir Chakra awardees, Hony Captain Yogendra Yadav and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar.
The parade will see Squadron Leader Sumita Yadav, an air traffic controller in the Indian Air Force and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication who had drawn the attention of the nation last July when she marched in the Bastille Day parade in Paris, where Prime Minister Modi was the chief guest.
“It was a proud moment saluting our Prime Minister on foreign soil as part of the contingent during Bastille Day. And it is a matter of greater pride that I will be saluting our Supreme Commander with the French President in attendance on Republic Day. Not many people get this opportunity, and I consider myself lucky to get this unique opportunity,” she said.
With French President as the guest of honour, it would be a proud moment for the 95-member marching contingent of French Foreign Legion along with a 33-member band contingent, two Rafale fighters, and an Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft from France.
Captain Louis of the Corps of the French Foreign Legion, highlighted the French Foreign Legion’s role. The Legion which was established in 1831, comprises nearly 9,500 officers and legionnaires from around 140 nationalities. Lieutenant Romain Bression said the French team’s participation reflects the growing defence cooperation between India and France.
Six Indians are set to be a part of the French military team marching alongside Indian contingents at the parade. Commander of the French marching contingent, Captain Noel Louis, announced the participation of six Indians in the French team. The individuals include CCH Sujan Pathak, CPL Dipak Arya, CPL Parbin Tandan, Gurvachan Singh, Aniket Ghartimagar, and Vikas Djeassegar.
Besides the personnel of the armed forces and paramilitary units, one of the many eye catching displays at the parade includes the Culture Ministry showcasing sarees from various Indian states and union territories, to be presented in the ‘Anant Sutra’ exhibition.
‘Anant Sutra – The Endless Thread’ is a textile installation displayed at Kartavya Path, positioned behind the seated spectators. The installation is set to display around 1,900 sarees and drapes from all corners of India, creatively mounted on wooden frames along the Kartavya Path. Each saree will feature QR codes, allowing attendees to scan and learn details about the weaving and embroidery techniques employed.
Amita Prasad Sarbhai, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, said the installation includes a 150-year-old saree, paying homage to the women and weavers of India.
Another eye catcher at the parade is Artificial Intelligence which has been grabbing eye balls almost world over and is being used in almost every sphere from defence to agriculture to social media. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is set to feature a tableau in this year’s Republic Day Parade, emphasising the role of artificial intelligence (AI) across diverse sectors. The tableau illustrates AI in action, showcasing a scene of a teacher using a VR headset to educate children. Additionally, the role of AI in logistics and cattle management is highlighted.
Director of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, J L Gupta said, “This year’s tableau focuses on AI-based technology and its public benefits. The presentation also sheds light on the positive impact of AI in the health sector. Aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision for electronic manufacturing, semiconductor chips are featured in the display.”
With India putting a space ship on the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) tableau will definitely grab the attention of the large audience, showcasing the achievements of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The tableau prominently features the launch and successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, with a special focus on its touchdown at the moon’s South Pole.
The flypast will showcase new-generation vehicles such as Terrain Vehicles, Light Specialist Vehicles, and Special Mobility Vehicles. Notable aircraft like ALH Dhruv Rudra and LCH Prachand will also participate. The Indian Air Force flypast, consisting of 51 planes including fighters, helicopters, and transport aircraft, will notably feature 15 women aviators.
The flypast will see a French refuel aircraft and two French Rafale aircraft.
In a gesture to honour eminent persons, 13,000 special guests, including top performers in various fields and beneficiaries of government schemes, have been invited to witness the parade. The Defence Secretary emphasised the government’s vision of Jan Bhagidari, quoting Prime Minister Modi that these guests are the pride of the country.
The special guests include individuals who excelled in various government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Street Vendor’s Aatmanirbhar Nidhi, PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna, PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, and Stand-Up India scheme.
Additionally, attendees comprise Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, women workers of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, electronic manufacturing sectors, Central Vista Project, women space scientists of ISRO, yoga teachers (Ayushman Bharat), international sports event winners, Paralympic medalists, Best Self-Help Groups, Farmers Producer Organisations, references of PM Mann ki Baat programme, and ‘Super-100’ of Project Veer Gatha 3.0 and winners of the National School Band Competition.
There is also a special emphasis on including Vibrant Villages in the list of special guests, recognising their tough livelihoods and allowing them to be part of the Republic Day celebrations.
– The writer is a senior journalist and media consultant. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda.
