Culture, military might on display at R- Day parade
India displayed its glorious cultural heritage and military might at the 64th Republic Day parade at Rajpath in the capital on Saturday. President Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, took the salute for the first time after assuming office in July 2012. Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was the chief guest at the parade.
One of the main highlights of the parade that left spectators awe- struck was the display of the 5,000 km- range Agni- V long- range ballistic missile by the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO). The missile was test- fired for the first time by the DRDO in 2012 and its success had put India in an elite group of nations to possess such a capability.
The flypast by the Indian Air Force ( IAF) also enthralled the spectators. The flypast began with three attack helicopters flying over Rajpath, followed by the C- 130J “Hercules” Military transport aircraft. The main attraction of the fly- past was the trident formation by the three Sukhoi Su30MKI fighter aircraft. The fighter planes zoomed over Rajpath and then sky- rocketed upwards leaving a trail in form of a trident. This left the gathering spellbound.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, defence minister A. K. Antony and the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force laid wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti in memory of those who laid down their lives while defending the nation. After the customary 21gun salute and unfurling of the national tricolour by President Mukherjee, four Army helicopters flew above Rajpath carrying the national flag and the three flags of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Lt. Gen. Subroto Mitra, the general officer commanding ( Delhi), led military and police contingents as they marched to the tunes of bands. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was among those who watched the impressive parade. Women officers led some of the marching contingents of the Services. The Army contingent from horse- mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, Mechanised Infantry Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry, Dogra Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Ladakh Scouts, 8 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Ordnance Corps and Territorial Army ( Punjab) marched to the martial tunes. Following them were the Naval contingent, which, in turn, was followed by the Air Force contingent led by Flight Lieutenant Heena Pore.