Drizzle fails to dampen spectacle of Republic Day
Rain and gloomy weather failed to dampen the spirits of thousands of eager people who thronged the historic Rajpath to witness the 66th Republic Day parade on Monday. It was not a usual Republic Day for the country as it was for the first time that a US President became the chief guest, making it the most special and talked about Republic Day parades the country has ever witnessed.
While the colourful parade gave an insight into the vast cultural diversity and military proficiency of the country, empowerment of women stood out as one of the key themes of the pageantry. Women officers from the Navy, Air Force and Army led several contingents and the parade even featured female Everest summiteers from the armed forces.
Clad in a dark suit, US President Barack Obama was seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who looked dapper in a multi-coloured Rajasthani turban, and President Pranab Mukherjee. Amidst the patriotic cheers that rose in the rain-drenched venue, Modi and Obama were seen chatting while they soaked up the splendour that unfolded on Rajpath.
While the parade was underway, Obama was spotted cheering the enthusiastic participants and also giving a thumps-up to the BSF’s daredevils who came towards the end of the show. Obama on Monday broke the secret service’s sacred security protocol by remaining in the open for more than two hours when he graced the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi as the chief guest.
The security guidelines of the secret service, the exclusive agency responsible for an American President’s security, mandates that he does not spend more than 45 minutes at any open-air venue. First lady Michelle Obama was also seen standing up and cheering for the smartly-dressed all-women marching contingents from the three forces who were a part of the Republic Day pageantry for the first time.
Also on display for the first time was the recently-acquired long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine P-8I aircraft and the long-range advanced fighter plane MiG-29K. The tableaux of 16 States, especially featuring the newly-formed State of Telangana, were culturally rich with ethnic themes showcasing the different faiths and cultures of the people of the country. From Karnataka’s traditional art of making Channapatna toys that came alive in its tableau, to Andhra Pradesh’s Sankranti Sambaraalu, the vivid diversity of India was on display.
Gujarat’s tableau however, was a direct reflection of the Prime Minister’s vision for the State as it displayed the Sardar Sarovar Dam with the Narmada River flowing down it and Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’ in the foreground. The tableau was accompanied by women and men doing Garba and the Dangi dance.
It was also a day for showcasing what the Modi Government has envisioned for the country and the new policies that it has launched in the last seven months. The ‘Make in India’ tableau was the most striking of the lot. With contemporary music to support it, the float displayed a massive working model of the ‘Make in India’ lion with a digital screen displaying various categories within the campaign and inviting manufacturers and investors to participate in the initiative.
Additionally, tableaux on the Jan Dhan Yojna, Ayush Healthcare, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programme and Walk for Justice gave out a powerful social message. All in all, it was a day of several firsts and this Republic Day parade stood out as one of its kind. Women stole the show, a display of various social campaigns gave way to a development model and the new artillery on show boasted of India’s military competence.
A massive ground-to-air security apparatus was put in place in the National Capital, virtually turning the city into an impregnable fortress. Snipers of the National Security Guard were deployed at all high-rises along the parade route to ensure an incident-free Republic Day and foolproof security for the American President, who arrived on Sunday morning.