THE REPUBLIC IN ALL ITS GLORY
GRAND SPECTACLE The event showcased the country’s military might and awed the Delhi audience
NEW DELHI: Braving the morning chill, a sea of people arrived in central Delhi early Saturday to witness the 70th Republic Day celebrations on Rajpath.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest this year. The ceremonial parade was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other dignitaries.
Escorted by 46 bodyguards in red coats and golden sashes on coloured mounts, President Kovind reached the stage shortly after PM Modi’s tribute to martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti, following which the tricolour was unfurled. The national anthem was accompanied by the 21-gun salute that left many first-timers stunned.
“The first shot took me by surprise. I had no idea it would be so impactful,” Nalini Sinha, a college student who came from Jodhpur to watch the parade, said.
“Singing the national anthem with thousands of people is very rousing—it makes one feel patriotic,” Satyapriya Indurwade, a professor of Nagpur University, said.
After the national anthem, slain soldier Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra by President Kovind. The former militant-turned-soldier was awarded the country’s highest peacetime gallantry honour for laying down his life fighting militants in Shopian in November 2018. Wani’s wife and mother received the award.
For the first time, four Indian Indian National Army veterans—all above 95-years-old— participated in the parade. Assam Rifles also created history by fielding an all-women marching contingent led by Major Khusboo Kanwar for the first time.
While Captain Shikha Sharma was the first woman army officer to become a stunt rider, the audience’s loudest cheers were reserved for the human pyramid formed by 33 daredevils on nine motorcycles. The flypast had most of the audience on its toes in efforts to capture video on their mobile phones.
“I wanted my children to attend the parade instead of just watching it on television every year. So we came here at 6am to make sure we could get entry,” Mohammed Nayeem, who decided to attend the parade at the last moment, said.