By Our Correspondent /PIB
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: President Smt Droupadi Murmu will lead the Nation in celebrating the 74th Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, 2023. Egyptian President Mr Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will be the Chief Guest at the parade. Building on last year’s celebrations, in the 75th year of Independence celebrated as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the celebrations this year shall witness zeal, enthusiasm, patriotic fervour and ‘Jan Bhagidari’, as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The week-long celebrations commenced on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. To mark the occasion, a one-of-a-kind Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival ‘Aadi Shaurya – Parv Parakram ka’ was organised in New Delhi on 23rd& 24th January. The events will culminate on 30th January, which is observed as Martyrs’ Day.
The celebrations are marked by attractive performances from Vande Bharatam group of dancers from across the country, tales of bravery by Veer Gatha 2.0 participants, melodious performances by School Bands at the National War Memorial, first-ever e-invitations, largest-ever drone show and 3-D anamorphic projection.
The Parade
The Republic Day parade, which will begin at around 1030 hrs, will be a unique mix of the country’s military prowess & cultural diversity, depicting the country’s growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti and emergence of a ‘New India’.
The parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. Amongst the many firsts, the 21-gun salute will be given with 105-mm Indian Field Guns. It replaces the vintage 25 pounder gun, reflecting upon the growing ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Four Mi-17 1V/V5 helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path.
The parade will commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Bhavnish Kumar, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.
The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow. They include the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra. Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI (Retd); Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers (Retd) & Subedar (Honorary Lieutenant) Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles and Ashok Chakra winners Major General CA Pithawalla (Retd); Colonel D Sreeram Kumar and Lieutenant Colonel Jas Ram Singh (Retd) will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps. The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice but, other than, in the face of the enemy.
Egyptian contingent
Marching down the Kartavya Path for the first time will be the combined Band & Marching contingent of the Egyptian Armed Forces, led by Colonel Mahmoud Mohamed Abdel Fattah El Kharasawy. The contingent will consist of 144 soldiers, representing the main branches of the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Indian Army Contingents
The first contingent in the uniform of the 61 Cavalry will be led by Captain Raizada Shaurya Bali. The 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horse Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the ‘State Horse Units’.
The Indian Army will be represented by a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, nine Mechanised Columns, six marching contingents and a fly past by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of Army Aviation Corps. Main Battle Tank ARJUN, NAG Missile System (NAMIS), Infantry Combat Vehicle of BMP-2 SARATH, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, K-9 Vajra-tracked Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun, BrahMos missile, 10m Short Span Bridge, Mobile Microwave Node & Mobile Network Centre and AKASH (New Generation Equipment) will be the main attractions in the mechanised columns.
A total of six marching contingents of the Army, including The Mechanised Infantry Regiment, The Punjab Regiment, The Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, The Dogra Regiment, The Bihar Regiment and The Gorkha Brigade will march past the saluting dais.
Veterans’ Tableau
Another highlight of the parade this year will be Veterans’ Tableau, with the theme ‘Towards India’s Amrit Kaal with Resolve – A Veterans’ Commitment’. It will provide a glimpse of veterans’ contributions in the last 75 years and their initiatives in shaping India’s future during ‘Amrit Kaal’.
Indian Navy Contingent
The Indian Navy contingent will comprise 144 young sailors, led by Lt Cdr Disha Amrith as Contingent Commander. For the first time ever, the marching contingent consists of three women and six Agniveers. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Navy – Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’. It will showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy, Nari Shakti and key indigenously designed and built assets under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
The forward part of the tableau will illustrate the women aircrew of Dornier aircraft, highlighting all-women crew surveillance sortie undertaken last year. The main section of the tableau will display the ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Navy. There will be a model of the new indigenous Nilgiri class ship with a Dhruv helicopter deploying marine commandos. On the sides, models of indigenous Kalvari class submarines will be depicted. The rear section of the tableau will display models of autonomous unmanned systems being indigenously-developed under iDEX-Sprint Challenge.
Indian Air Force Contingent
The Indian Air Force contingent will comprise 144 air warriors and four officers, led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The Air Force tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries’, will display a rotating globe highlighting IAF’s expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries. It will also showcase Light Combat Aircraft Tejas MK-II, Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’, Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft NETRA and C-295 Transport aircraft. The tableau will also display a team of GARUDs in combat gear with laser designation equipment and specialist weapons.
DRDO Tableau & Equipment
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) will showcase one tableau and equipment. The theme of the tableau is ‘Securing Nation with Effective Surveillance, Communication and Neutralising Threats’. The first part shall display Underwater Surveillance Platforms, which include sonars like Ushus-2 for submarines, Humsa series of sonars for ships and Low Frequency Dunking Sonar for helicopter launch surveillance.
The second part of this tableau will have Land Surveillance, Communication and Neutralising platforms showcasing D4 counter drone systems, which can perform real time search, detection, tracking and neutralise targets. Two units of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile Weapon System, Battery Multifunction Radar and Missile Launcher Vehicle will also be displayed. The third part will showcase Aerial Surveillance and Communication platforms Airborne Early Warning and Control System and TAPAS BH Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV. The rear part will represent DRDO’ Research Activities through a semiconductor R&D facility.
Indigenously-developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), a modular 8X8 wheeled combat platform carried on a 70-ton Trailer will be displayed by DRDO in the form of equipment.
Indian Coast Guard Contingent
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) marching contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant Rohit Singh. The ICG, with 157 ships and 78 aircraft, is capable of countering threats at and to the sea. The continuous vigil of the ICG has enabled seizure of contraband worth over Rs 14,546 crore since its inception, including Rs 2,620 crore in 2022 alone. Its reach and capability was demonstrated during the flag hoisting on 100 inhabited & un-inhabited far-flung islands as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The ICG has been a pioneer in women empowerment, offering opportunities to women officers in all spheres.
Contingents of CAPF & Delhi Police
Also marching down Kartavya Path will be the contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led by Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta; Railway Protection Force led by Assistant Security Commissioner Saurav Kumar and Delhi Police led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Shweta S Sugathan. The Camel Contingent of Border Security Force (BSF) will march past the saluting dais under the command of Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Kheechee. For the first time, female camel riders will participate in the parade, showcasing women empowerment in various fields.
NCC Contingents
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent, comprising 148 Senior Division cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Pujari Sivanand of the Maharashtra Directorate. Senior Under Officer Sonali Sahoo of Odisha Directorate will head the NCC Girls Marching contingent, consisting of 148 Senior Division Cadets drawn from all 17 Directorates.
National Service Scheme contingent
The marching contingent of National Service Scheme (NSS), comprising 148 volunteers, will march under the command of Aanchal Sharma from Himachal Pradesh, Regional Directorate of NSS, Chandigarh.
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winners
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar are conferred on children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of bravery, art & culture, sports, innovation and social service. Eleven winning children, in jeeps, will be driven down Kartavya Path.
Cultural Performance
Cultural performances by 479 artists chosen through the nation-wide Vande Bharatam dance competition will add colour and groove to the Republic Day parade. The theme of the cultural extravaganza will be ‘Nari Shakti’ presented by 326 female dancers, ably supported by 153 male dancers, of age group 17-30 years. They will present classical, folk and contemporary fusion dances, depicting the ‘Power of Women’ through five elements Earth, Water, Air, Space and Fire. This is the second time that the dancers of the cultural programme have been selected through a Nation-wide competition.
Motorcycle Display
Another highlight of the show will be a thrilling motorcycle display by Corps of Signals’ Dare Devils team. They will enthrall the audience with an array of formations, which will also include a Yoga display.
Fly Past
The grand finale and the most eagerly-awaited segment of the parade, the Fly Past, will witness a breath-taking air show by 45 aircraft of Indian Air Force, one from the Indian Navy and four helicopters of Indian Army. Vintage as well as current modern aircraft/helicopters like Rafale, MiG-29, Su-30, Su-30 MkI Jaguar, C-130, C-17, Dornier, Dakota, LCH Prachand, Apache, Sarang& AEW&C will roar in the skies above Kartavya Path, displaying different formations, including Baaz, Prachand, Tiranga, Tangail, Vajrang, Garud, Bheem, Amrit and Trishul. The concluding Vertical Charlie maneuver will be performed by Rafale fighter aircraft.
Like last year, Doordarshan will broadcast cockpit videos during the fly past. The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of Tri-colour balloons.
Special Invitees
This year, invites have been sent to common people from all walks of the society such as Shramyogis involved in construction of Central Vista, Kartavya Path, New Parliament Building, milk, vegetable vendors, and street vendors etc. These special Invitees will be prominently seated at Kartavya Path.
