Undeterred by rain in the early morning hours on Thursday, a large number of people turned out to witness the grandeur of the 68th Republic Day celebrations. The Pioneer spoke to a few first timers who were assembled on Rajpath to witness the historic parade.
Before the obvious question “How was your first time experienceIJ” was asked, people immediately replied that the event was mesmerising with all the fighter jets flying over their heads and the tableaux of all the States.
“It was sheer joy to watch the performers do their tasks with ease. The environment itself had patriotism written all over. I felt like staying there the entire day,” said Ashmika Gupta, a resident of Varanasi who stays in East Delhi.
Rahul Raj, a Delhi University law student, expressed his wish to cover the historic day as a news reporter some day in his life. He said even though the fighter planes flew over his head in just seconds, he got an adrenaline rush.
“From the sound of the fighter jets from a distance to them zooming away each time, I got reminded of how proud I am of our country. I was also looking forward to watching Tejas fly for the first time and after it did, I wanted to see replays again and again. Also, the National Security Guards (NSGs) Black Cats’ march past was a joy to behold,” said Raj.
The ‘Netra’, an Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft also known as “Eye in the Sky” was a head turner. Netra, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)’s maiden sortie was followed by the ‘Globe Formation’ comprising one C-17 Globemaster flanked by two Su-30 MKIs. Next in line were the fighters, with five Jaguars flying in arrowhead formation, while five MiG-29 fighters darted through the sky in fulcrum style.
The breathtaking ‘Trishul’ formation comprising three Su-30 MKIs who flew from the Jodhpur airbase with a speed of 900 kms was the icing on the cake as the flypast concluded with another Su-30 MKI carrying out a ‘Vertical Charlie’ manoeuvre over the saluting dais. The ceremony concluded with the national anthem and release of colourful balloons.
Abhishek Kapoor, another first timer, said, “I live in Delhi. However, I have never witnessed the real Republic Day parade. I was stuck in a traffic jam due to the rain but I am feeling blissful that I made it to the R-Day celebrations.”
Mukta Sareen, an employee of multinational was too excited after watching the parade that culminated with the acrobatics by the Indian Airforce jets. “It was worth it. The very feeling of being at the Rajpath is just beyond description”, Mukta said. There were others too who echoed her sentiments as they watched the magic spell of the parade unfold at sprawling Rajpath.