Cultural diversity, military might on display at Republic Day fete

New Delhi: India displayed its military prowess and cultural diversity during the Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi on Sunday. Flypast by India Air Force fighter jets, and the newly acquired Apache helicopters enthralled the audience during 71st Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi on Sunday.

Daredevil acts displayed by all-woman bikers contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) made its debut at the Republic Day parade and

garnered huge applause from thousands of people seated on both sides of

the Rajpath. Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind unfurled the Tricolour, which was followed by the National Anthem and 21-gun salute at Rajpath.

The ceremony that lasted one and a half hours, was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief guest of this year's parade, Brazilian president Jair Messias Bolsonaro as the President took the salute.

Cabinet ministers — Home minister Amit Shah, Foreign minister S Jaishankar and Human Resources development minister Ramesh Pokriyal — were among the audience along with top bureaucrats and diplomats of many countries.

The ceremonies this year was marked by several firsts – starting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying homage to soldiers killed in battle at National War Memorial instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate where he was met by the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat, besides Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane, Navy Chief Karambir Singh and Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria.

The National War Memorial which was inaugurated in February last year by Modi, has been built in memory of the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country after independence.

Other firsts included a contingent of women bikers of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force that performed daredevil stunts. It was led by Inspector Seema Nag who was seen saluting the president while balanced on a moving motorcycle.

Marching for the first time in the Republic Day parade was a contingent of the Corps of Army Air Defence that was recently awarded colours by the president of India.

One of the showstoppers of the parade was India's Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) system that was successfully tested in March last year and which propelled India into an exclusive club of nations including the US, China and Russia to successfully demonstrate its capabilities to shoot down a low-orbital satellite.

The finale was marked a breath-taking fly past that too saw many new elements. For starters, there were three helicopters — one from the army, navy and Air Force each flying past the saluting dais in a "Tri-service formation."

This was followed by three of India's newly acquired Chinook helicopters, used for airlifting diverse loads to remote locations, flying in "Vic" or in a formation resembling the letter "V."

The Chinooks were followed by five Apaches flying in an 'arrowhead' formation. Both were inducted into the Indian Air Force last year and made their debut at this year's parade.

India's heavy-lift capabilities were showcased by three C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft and three C-17 Globemasters while the Indian Air Force's airborne early warning capabilities were showcased by India's 'Eye in the Sky- Netra' (NEtwork TRaffic Analysis) radar system that was flanked by two Russian made Sukhois. Upgraded MiG 29s and the French-British made deep penetration strike Jaguar aircraft too took part in the fly past.

Modi also received greetings on the occasion from several leaders including the prime ministers of Nepal and Israel and the president of the Maldives.

"India is not only a key development partner of Nepal; she is also the largest friend in terms of trade, transit, investment, infrastructure, technology, energy, education, healthcare and so on," Nepal's prime minister K.P Sharma Oli said in his message published in major Nepalese newspapers on Sunday.

"We believe that the high-level visits from both sides in recent few years have further reinforced the age-old cordial relations between the two countries with the pursuit of bilateral cooperation even in the fields of agriculture, railway and waterway connectivity, infrastructure, energy, and others," he said.