Covid hits R-day parade, only 5k guests allowed
NEW DELHI: The spectator count at India’s biggest ceremonial event, the Republic Day parade, will be massively curtailed this year due to Covid-related restrictions with only 5,000 to 8,000 people to be allowed entry to Rajpath to witness the spectacular display of the country’s military might and cultural heritage, top officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
“We do not want the parade to become a superspreader event in the midst of the third Covid wave. The number of spectators has been significantly curtailed. We are still working on the final numbers but it’s going to be between 5,000 and 8,000 people” said one of the officials cited above.
Only double vaccinated adults and single vaccinated children of age 15 and above will be allowed entry.
The development came on a day defence minister Rajnath Singh wrote to chief ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, after the rejection of the tableaux of the two states snowballed into a contrversy.
In his letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Singh hinted that since the Central Public Works Department’s float for the occasion pays homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, the state’s float was not included for the parade.
He also reminded her about the importance the Narendra Modi government attached to the iconic freedom fighter.
“Our government had celebrated in 2018 with great fanfare the 75th anniversary of the government Netaji formed in exile in 1943. It was our government which included the living soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) in the Republic Day Parade and felicitated them,” he said.
To Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, Singh wrote that the selection of tableaux for the parade has been done as per the prescribed guidelines. The proposal from Tamil Nadu was considered in the first three rounds of selection meetings but could not make it into the final list of 12 tableaux selected for participation in the RDP2022, the defence minister wrote.
“There exists a well-established system for selection of tableaux for participation in the Republic Day parade, as per which, the Ministry of Defence invites proposals for tableaux from all states/union territories and central ministries/departments,” Singh said.
The January 26 parade was attended by around 25,000 spectators amid the ebbing second wave, compared to around 125,000 people who pitched up at Rajpath to watch the event in the pre-pandemic era.
A new show with 1,000 drones is expected to add sparkle to the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29, which marks the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations.
“This ‘Make in India’ initiative (drone show) has been organised by a startup, Botlab
A NEW SHOW WITH 1,000 DRONES IS EXPECTED TO ADD SPARKLE TO THE BEATING RETREAT CEREMONY ON JANUARY 29
Dynamics, supported by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the department of science and technology. Only the US, Russia and China have the capability for a show with 1,000 drones,” the official said. The duration of the show will be 10 minutes. The Republic Day parade will begin at 10.30 am, instead of the traditional timing of 10 am, for better visibility to the parade and the fly past --the highlight of the event.
The fly past, consisting of 75 aircraft in India’s 75th year of Independence, will feature flying formations to commemorate some glorious moments of India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, including the historic Tangail airdrop and the Meghna heli-borne operation. The defence ministry has conceptualised a raft of new events to mark the Republic Day celebrations as the country is also observing the 75th year of its Independence, a second official said.
This year onwards, Republic Day celebrations will begin on January 23, the birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, instead of January 24, and culminate on January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.
This year marks Bose’s 125th birth anniversary.
On January 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for outstanding work in disaster management at a ceremony to be held at India Gate, said a third official.
On January 26, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will launch a programme called Shaheedon ko Shat Shat Naman, as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, to honour the sacrifices of fallen heroes. “The next of kin (NOK) of around 5,000 fallen heroes will be presented the ‘Plaque of Gratitude,’ by NCC cadets. Each plaque signed by the PM.
This activity will be carried out around the same time when the PM pays homage at the National War Memorial in New Delhi,” the first official said.
This will mark the beginning of the programme, which will carry on till August 15, 2022 by when the cadets would have felicitated the NOKs of all 26,466 fallen heroes whose names are inscribed on the memorial.
Huge scrolls, measuring 75 metres by 15 feet each, will serve as view cutters in the spectator stands along Rajpath. “Ten scrolls were prepared taking inspiration from the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle,” the official said.