Having won the Best Marching Contingent’s trophy on 14 occasions, the Delhi Police is eyeing the award for the 15th time in the Republic Day Parade. The Delhi Police contingent will be marching on the majestic Rajpath during the Republic Day parade. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Nangloi Sub-Division Ingit Pratap Singh will lead the parade while ACP Vasant Vihar Benita Mary has been kept in reserve to lead the parade.
The Delhi Police contingent comprising 148 members and 68 band members will march in the parade. The contingent constitutes of one Assistant Commissioner of Police, three Sub-Inspectors, 24 Head Constables and 120 Constables. The band would be led by Sub-Inspector Purroshatam, which will march behind the contingent. The 40-day practice sessions will bear fruit only on the final day when the contingent will walk in hand-in-hand and bring out the glory of the Delhi Police. The practice sessions for the parade commenced on December 16, 2012 at the New Delhi Police lines in early morning hours from 5 am and in the evening hours as well. The practice sessions later began at Rajpath from December 23 and will be followed by the dress rehearsals 10 days before the main day.
The Chief Drill Instructor (CDI) Sub-Inspector Inderaj Singh is coaching the contingent for the parade. He has been teaching the Delhi Police contingent for as many as 17 years now and believes that this time trophy will fall in their hands. To make sure the troop is marching properly and in full action, videographers are also called in to record the practice sessions. “We have called in videographers to record the practice sessions. later on we closely monitor the movement of each Delhi Police officer to analyse if any one is going wrong. The contingent is also made to sit and watch their performance for self-analysis,” said CDI.
The Delhi Police has for 14 times bagged the Best Contingent trophy but the last time the glory came to them was in 2006. The marching style of the personnel is by holding the rifle (.303 bore) in the left hand and the right hand going front and back in full swing. The rifle weighs around 4.09 kilo. The selection process begins from November onwards to choose the best officers who will march in the name of the Delhi Police. The Deputy Commissioner of Police First Battalion and the Chief Drill Instructor hold the responsibility of choosing police personnel who will march in the parade.