New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) India will display its military might like it has for the last 58 years and its cultural diversity, but its 59th Republic Day Saturday will stand out for more than pageantry and sentiment – in a historic moment in time President Pratibha Patil will be the first woman to take salute.
With French President Nicolas Sarkozy looking on, President Patil will preside over the grand and colourful parade that marks the highpoint of the Republic Day celebrations.
Scaled down parades, preceded by flag hoisting ceremonies, will be held across the country with state governors and chief ministers performing the honours.
In the national capital, the focus will be as much on President Patil as on the 105-minute-long parade.
This will feature marching contingents of the three services and the paramilitary forces, and floats depicting the economic growth and diversity of India as they move down Rajpath, the two-mile grand boulevard that stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace, to the war memorial at the imposing India Gate arch.
Interspersed between the marching contingents will be a dazzling array of military bands playing rousing music to add to the grandeur of the occasion.
Following them will be 1,900 cadets of the National Cadet Corps from the four corners of the country. Some will march in contingents of 12×12, while others dressed in traditional costumes will showcase their native dances.
A variety of new equipment like an indigenously-developed Experimental Tank, the awesome T-90 Main Battle Tank (MBT) and a mobile launcher for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile will be on display for the first time at the parade.
Among the other equipment to be seen will be a 12-barelled Smerch rocket launcher, a Tanguska air defence gun, a Sarvatra bridge-layer tank, an upgraded 155mm Soltom howitzer and a mobile system that enables the conduct of network centric warfare.
Before the start of the parade, President Patil will posthumously award the Ashok Chakra to three army personnel – Col. Vasanth V, Capt. Harshan R. and Naib Subedar Chuni Lal, all of who laid down their lives during counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Vasanth’s widow Suhasini, Harshan’s father K. Radhakrishnan Nair, and Chuni Lal’s widow Chintha Devi will receive the awards.
Like in past years, the Delhi Police, reinforced by paramilitary troopers, have been on high alert to prevent any terror attack in the run up to the parade. A close watch is being maintained on small hotels in the city, landlords have been asked for details about their tenants and cyber café owners have been asked to maintain a record of their customers.
Several roads in and around the India Gate have been sealed off for security reasons, even as the deployment of paramilitary forces at the Delhi Airport and Delhi Metro has been scaled up.
The airspace over Delhi will also be closed for the duration of the parade to prevent the possibility of an aerial attack on the capital.
The celebrations will conclude with the magnificent Beating Retreat ceremony Tuesday evening.