Indian soldiers march during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, January 26, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: Women power (Nari Shakti) was on full display on Kartavya Path on Friday as India showcased its military might and cultural richness at the 75th Republic Day parade, witnessed by more than 75,000 people braving the early morning chills.
In a surprise, the ceremonial buggy was out after four decades ferrying President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Guest French President Emmanuel Macron to the saluting dais amidst a colourful backdrop in the seating area made out of 1,900 handwoven sarees and other types of fabrics from various states.
The horse drawn carriage was last used in 1984 after which the practice was discontinued on security grounds and armoured limousine replaced the buggy. Decades later President Pranab Mukherjee used the carriage for the Beating Retreat ceremony.
For the first time, the parade was heralded by 100 women artists with Indian musical instruments while participation of women was the maximum in the parade’s history.
An all-women tri-service contingent marched down Kartavya Path for the first time. The central armed police force's contingents will be all women teams and a significant number of pilots in the flypast will be women.
There were 13,000 special guests including important patent and copyright holders, headmen from nearly 300 border villages, women space scientists of ISRO, yoga teachers and a section of the beneficiaries of centrally-funded government schemes.
They sat in a special enclosure opposite to the one housing the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Guest.
The central boulevard also witnessed a march past by a combined band and marching contingent of the French Armed Forces. A 30-member band contingent was followed by a 90-member marching contingent.
A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft and two Rafale fighter jets of the French Air & Space Force flew above the contingents while they marched past the saluting dais.
The first Army contingent was from 61 Cavalry, the world's only serving active horsed cavalry regiment, followed by 11 mechanised columns, 12 marching contingents, and a fly past by Advanced Light Helicopters of Army Aviation Corps.
The Indian Navy showcased women in all roles and all ranks in its tableau whereas the Indian Air Force too highlighted the role of women as its float had a C-295 transport aircraft being flown by women aircrew in the cockpit.
Women’s involvement in defence R&D and space research was highlighted in the tableau of DRDO and ISRO. The CSIR also flagged the role women scientists play to spread the lavender cultivation and commercialising the aroma chemical.
Tableaus from 16 states and union territories and nine ministries rolled down on the Kartavya Path in the final part of the parade that ended with a flypast involving more than 50 aircraft of the IAF. The smoggy weather, however, played a spoilsport as most of the spectators couldn’t spot the aircraft.