With January 26 inching closer day by day, it is known that this year's Republic Day parade will feature a lot more than is customary. Unique in every sense, preparations to make this year's show extraordinary are on in full force. It has been reported that the parade this year will boast of a couple of firsts; From not one, but ten ASEAN leaders to visit as guests, a motorbike performance by an all-woman contingent, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' tableau, Republic Day this year is going to be much more than just our military might.
ASEAN leaders to make Chief Guests
10 State leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be hosted by India this year, as PM Modi ups his international relations skills. India has typically only hosted one guest for its Republic Day parade, except in 1985 and 1974, when the parade saw two guests. This year however, leaders of Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei will be welcomed.
Over a hundred government agencies have participated in the preparations of the mammoth-sized event, and the allotted security is enough to give Fort Knox a complex. A 100 feet wide stage enclosed by a bullet-proof glass has already been erected at Rajpath, and needless to say, it is at least three times bigger than previous years. The convoy of each leader will be given nine luxury cars. A gap of 60 seconds will be maintained at the arrival of each dignitary at the podium. Practice drills are conducted every morning to avoid last minute confusion or goof ups.
All the foreign leaders will begin to arrive in New Delhi on January 24, for the India-ASEAN commemorative summit, which is scheduled to take place on January 25. At the parade, as per protocol, the Prime Minister of Brunei will grace the occasion first, while the Thai king will enter last.
All-woman bike contingent
Brace yourselves for a brand new biker contingent this year, as they gear up to woo the country with their stunning and breathtaking stunts and acrobatics. While a troupe of biking daredevils end the parade every year with a gravity-defying display, an all-women biker contingent from the Border Security Force (BSF) has taken up the honours this year.
Called Seema Bhavani or Border Bravehearts, the 113-member squad includes women aged between 25 to 30 years. All of them have been carefully chosen from different combat ranks of the force. The contingent is led by sub-inspector Stanzin Noryang, a 28 year old from Ladakh. The team itself is a diverse mix of bold and daring women from all over the country. Punjab has the most number of participants with 20, West Bengal has 15, Madhya Pradesh, 10, Maharashtra,9, Uttar Pradesh, 8, Odisha, 6, Assam and Bihar have 7 each, Rajasthan, Manipur and Gujarat have 5 each, and Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh have 3 each.
The idea of bringing in an all-women team was from BSF Director General KK Sharma, who wanted to replace the men daredevils with women bikers. The team will perform several stunts including classics like Pyramid, Fish Riding, Shaktiman, Bull Fighting, and Seema Prahari.
Mann Ki Baat tableau
The All India Radio is all set to feature NaMo's monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat in its tableau. Owned by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, AIR has received initial approvals and developed its tableau. “Mann Ki Baat is the flagship programme of All India Radio and the broadcaster wants to feature it,” a source said. They said the aim is to popularise the show and “reach out to the remotest parts of the country.”
AIR has so far aired 39 episodes of the show which was launched in October 2014. It is reported that as of March 2017, Mann Ki Baat has earned close to Rs 10 Crore in revenue via advertisements. The show is aired in 18 languages and 33 dialects. “It's the first time that AIR is doing something like this. It is a good idea as it will help AIR popularise the show and further reach out to the remotest parts of the country. The tableau will definitely help the reach of Mann Ki Baat,” a former information and broadcasting ministry official said.
Attack helicopter to make maiden appearance
India's first indigenously-built Weapon System Integrated (WSI) helicopter (ALH WSI Mk-IV), Rudra will be part of the second formation of the eye-catching flypast and air display by various aircraft. Handed over to the Indian Army back in 2013, this will be the first time the multi-role helicopter of 5.8 tonne class is showcased at the parade.
Rudra is the Mk-IV variant of advanced light helicopter designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is fitted with weapons, targeting systems, warning and counter-measure systems, and survivability features. It is fitted with three sighting systems like the Electro Optic Pod, Helmet Mounted Sight, and Fixed Sight.
Flypast by the Indian Air Force will involve 38 aircraft, including 21 fighters, 12 helicopters, and five transporters. The Ensign formation of the flypast will include a Mi-17 V5 helicopter carrying the ASEAN flag to commemorate the summit meeting of India. Other formations will include C-130 J, AEW&C aircraft escorted by two Sukhoi-30 MKI, Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, Jaguar, MiG 29 Upgrade aircraft.
770 students to perform
Demonstrations in Republic Day parade 2018 will not just feature the defence forces, but also 770 students who will perform Kathak, and folk dances of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries. Students participating in the event said the event has given them an opportunity to learn about the cultural diversity of other countries. “I will represent Malaysian culture. We did some research on the Internet, and saw videos, and it took us about a month to get the hang of it. But, we learned so much about other countries.”
A total of five performances will take place, two from the Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi government, and one each by groups from the North East Zone Cultural Centre and the South Central Zone Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Culture. Another set of 150 students from Delhi's Mount Abu Public School will perform, dressed in the traditional attire of the 10 ASEAN countries.
