Being celebrated in the midst of a raging pandemic, this year’s parade will register many firsts

The Republic Day is all about pomp, show and gaiety. Primarily, it showcases India’s military might and features its tanks, missiles, torpedoes, submarines, fighter jets and, of course, its men. The event related to the nation’s prowess is accentuated by tableaux displaying the rich cultural heritage, diversity, its values, principles, the Government’s initiatives and schemes, milestones achieved and the road ahead. However, the 72nd Republic Day, which is being celebrated in the midst of a raging pandemic, will not be the same. It will be a low-key affair marked by several firsts and many first-time misses. First and foremost, there will be no chief guest, making it the first R-Day parade in over 50 years without the presence of the most important guest; thus making it a bit insipid. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been invited as the chief guest but he had to cancel his visit in the backdrop of the outbreak of a new COVID strain at home. Before this, India didn’t have a chief guest for the R-Day parade in 1952, 1953 and in 1966. Second, due to COVID restrictions the route of the parade, which begins at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, has been cut short and it will this year conclude at the National Stadium (India Gate) instead of the Red Fort as every year. The soldiers marching down Rajpath would wear masks, as will the spectators. Further, there will be no gravity-defying stunts by the motorcycle-borne men and the size of the marching contingents has been reduced from the regular 144 to 96. The veterans’ parade has also been cancelled this year due to the pandemic. All this has been done to ensure that the social distancing protocol is adhered to. Even the number of spectators has been brought down to 25,000 from 1.25 lakh last year.

The tableau of the Union Territory of Ladakh will participate in the parade for the first time, featuring the Indian Astronomical Observatory, located at Hanle near Leh, one of the world’s highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. Among the other firsts will be the participation of the country’s first woman fighter pilot, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, and a flypast with the newly-inducted Rafale jets that will be part of different formations during the flypast. In yet another first, at least 122 soldiers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces will take part in the R-Day parade. Reportedly, this is only the third time since Independence that a foreign military contingent has been invited to be part of the national parade. The upgraded Schilika weapon system will showcase India’s strength in the parade, led by the only woman contingent commander from the Army. In another first, Uttar Pradesh’s tableau will showcase a replica of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It will also display the culture and tradition related to the ancient temple town. On the other hand, the Republic Day — which is celebrated with patriotism and fervour — will be marred by the farmers’ tractor rally on restricted routes inside the Capital.