By IANS,
Paris : The mad rush to Bastille prison exactly 220 years ago heralded the French Revolution and a new age. Another era started Tuesday when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became the first foreign head of government invited to watch the well-ordered march down Champs Elysees that marks France’s national day.
Minutes before soldiers of the Maratha Light Infantry led the marchers from the Arc de Triomphe to herald a new chapter in India-France relations,
French President Nicholas Sarkozy greeted Manmohan Singh with open arms, their bonhomie evident.
The two settled down next to each other to watch the start of the parade, an intricate cavalry manouvre set to music, and then a flypast of many planes from different eras made in France.
Behind sarkozy and Manmohan Singh sat their spouses next to each other – both Carla Bruni and Gursharan Kaur in white, Kaur with her trademark string of pearls around her throat.
There was no mistaking the pride on Manmohan Singh’s face as the contingents of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force moved past the saluting base, the Army led by Capt Vivek Khanduri, the Air Force by Sqn Ldr Alok Sharma and the Navy by Comm Rajiv Sharma.
The Indians marched to the tune of “Haste Lushai” and “Kadam, kadam badhaye ja”. They were followed by marching contingents of the French armed forces.
The Maratha Light Infantry is one of the oldest and most famous regiments of India, with its history going back 235 years. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the units of the regiment fought in several campaigns, including China, Burma, Africa and Abyssinia. It also fought during World War I and World War II.
A million Indian soldiers fought in World War I, including at two places in France — Somme and Givenchy. Around 100,000 Indians died in that war. More than 2.5 million Indians fought on the side of the Allies in World War II, apart from the country providing military bases and feeding a large percentage of Allied soldiers.
Manmohan Singh landed here Monday evening for his brief visit and was received by Justice Minister Michelle Alliot-Marie.