India Celebrates 67th Republic Day With Pomp And Glitter

By M.Santhiran M.Santhiran, Bernama's correspondent in New Delhi shares his take on India. NEW DELHI, 26 Jan (Bernama) -- Tuesday Jan 26 is India's Republic Day, the day when the country's constitution came into force in 1950. The day is commemorated grandly with the colourful parades held by the country's security forces. As for those who have watched these parades, it is a true show of Indian patriotism and pride in a riot of colours. Anyway for the readers information, Republic Day is one of the two commemorative dates celebrated by India as a sovereign nation with the other one being the Independence Day celebrated on each Aug 15. Each year there is a special guest of honour invited to witness the parade and this year its French president Francois Hollande's turn. Last year, it was United States president Barack Obama who graced the momentous event. I arrived for my tour of duty in Delhi just two days later. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the invitation to Hollande in a show solidarity with the people of France who were still coming to terms with the Nov 13 Paris terrorist attack that killed about 130 people. A RIOT OF COLOURS On Sunday (Jan 24) I had the opportunity to witness some rehearsal of the parade and looking forward to be part of the thousands of spectators in witnessing the colourful parade and the rich diversity of Indian culture on Jan 26. The parade showcased the colours, music and cultural performances from all the 29 states of India and seven union states. However, about 75 French troops will be marching with Indian troops as India shows its solidarity with people of France. Tuesday's event is also a display of Indian military might as the Bramos Missile System and the Akash Weapon System of 27th Air Defence Regiment was paraded. Even the dog squad wearing striped coats depicting their unit's colours of maroon and gold added to the diversity of the parade. The dogs are used to detect explosives and landmines. Policewomen wearing red and white helmets for the first time displayed their riding skills on Royal Enfields in front of the crowds. The Rajastan camel back contingent that was initially rumored to have been dropped out of the parade list after 66 years did appear for the 67th time Tuesday, much to the crowd's excitement. THE SECURITY HASSLE I was really eager to attend the event right from the start but being a foreigner I could only be there with an invitation. The invitation that I was waiting for finally arrived on last Friday with the strict reminder on do's and don’ts while attending the parade. The parade was scheduled at 10am on Tuesday (26 Jan), but I was advised to be at a specific gate entrance for media as early as 7am. With reports of 14 suspected Daesh militants arrests in six cities across India on the run up to the Republic Day, I don't blame the Indian security agencies in stepping up security measures. ENTIRE RAJPATH AND INDIA GATE SEALED The ceremonial boulevard of Rajpath and India Gate areas which were the main parade route were closed for nearly a month prior to the day with heavy deployment of paramilitary personnel. The entire three-kilometre stretch has been turned into a fortress, with security personnel stationed along all routes leading to the parade grounds with reports of nearly 50,000 men being assigned for the task. It does not end there with armed security personnel also being stationed at major shopping complexes and government buildings. Even 42 Malaysian journalists and representatives from some leading state agencies of Perak who are in Delhi had to endure the security hassle. The Malaysian group was on their five-day trip to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. At the airports, all travelers have been advised to check-in three hours before their flight departure schedule. -- BERNAMA