India’s show of strength, French soldiers, glimpses of heritage mark R-Day Parade

For the first time, a contingent from the French 35th Infantry Regiment was given the honour of leading the marching contingents and it performed with panache, preceded by a pipes and drums band and saluting in a rather atypical style with the right hand held straight across the chest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Hollande as chief guest in a show of solidarity with France after Islamist attacks in Paris last November killed 130 — recalling a 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed 166.

The mood on Tuesday was more celebratory, with Modi — sporting a gold turban that rivalled the spectacular military headgear on display — and Hollande chatting as they sat side by side in a bulletproof glass enclosure.

The celebrations began with PM Modi driving to the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial to the Unknown Soldier at India Gate and laying a wreath in honour of the countless Indian soldiers who have died in battles since World War I.

The Prime Minister then drove up to the saluting base to receive President Pranab Mukherjee and Hollande. An estimated 10,000 spectators braved thick smog and air quality levels classified as hazardous on the US embassy website to watch the display.

For the first time in the history of Republic Day parades, a 123-member French Army contingent marched on Rajpath and presented a ceremonial salute to President Pranab Mukherjee. Another first, after a gap of 26 years, was the march by an Army dog squad drawn from the Remount Veterinary Corps along with their handlers. Sticking to the age-old tradition, the colourful Border Security Force regiment consisting of 56 camels marched down the Rajpath. For the first time, the parade also witnessed an ex-servicemen tableau where army veterans showcased their role in nation building.

Among the weapons on display were the Army’s missile firing capability T-90 Bhishma tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP II (Sarath), Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Akash weapon system, Smerch Launcher Vehicles and Integrated Communication Electronic Warfare System.

An Indian Air Force tableau, themed “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations by IAF: In Service of the Nation and Beyond” showcased models of C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules and MI-17V5 aircraft, emphasising its use in the IAF’s recent rescue and relief operations in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Yemen and Nepal. The Ashok Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award in peacetime, was presented this year to the widow of Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of the Parachute Regiment, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists in the Kashmir Valley last September.

With intelligence inputs warning of a possible terror strike, unprecedented security measures were put in place across the country for the celebrations. A few incidents, however, including an encounter in South Kashmir where an unidentified militant was killed and a bomb scare sparked by an unclaimed bag at Pathankot railway station set off an alarm. Delhi, as a whole, was brought under a heavy ground-to-air security cover with thousands of armed personnel keeping a tight vigil.

Commandos with light machine guns were deployed at 10 strategic locations and anti-aircraft guns remained positioned at two vantage points in the Capital. The entire region of Central and New Delhi had nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from Delhi Police and central security forces guarding every nook and corner.