New Delhi: India celebrated its 74th Republic Day with a spectacular display of unity, culture and discipline by the Indian Army and participants marching on the path of duty in the national capital. The day began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying homage to the martyrs at the National War Memorial. President Draupadi Murmu along with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi were escorted from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the duty path, where they were received by PM Modi.
President Murmu, who was elected to the country’s highest office last year, unfurled the tricolor for the first time on the way of duty, which was followed by the national anthem. The customary 21-gun salute was given to the President. Notably, it was the first time that the 21-gun salute was accompanied by 105 mm Indian field guns. It replaced the old 25-pounder gun. A gun salute was fired by the Ceremonial Battery of the 871 Field Regiment. The Ceremonial Battery was commanded by Lt Col Vikas Kumar, SM. The Gun Position Officer was Naib Subedar Anoop Singh.
After the ceremonial 21-gun salute, it was time to showcase India’s military might with the start of the parade, in which troops march past saluting the President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces. With the start of the parade, the Karti Path, which was unveiled by PM Modi last year, witnessed the growing military power of the country, which was making its way towards self-reliance. On this year’s Republic Day, the participants promoted the theme of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ by showcasing indigenously developed weapon systems.
This year, the Republic Day parade featured only Made-in-India weapon systems, including ammunition showcasing India’s indigenizing power, such as the ‘Made in India’ 105 mm Indian field gun 21 Gun Salute, the recent induction being LCH Prachanda, K-9 Vajra Howitzer, MBT Arjun, Nag Anti-Tank Guided Missile, Akash Air Defense Missile and Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle. Lieutenant Commander Disha Amrit led a naval contingent of 144 young sailors as Contingent Commander and Lieutenant Ashwini Singh, Sub Lieutenant Priyanka Sharma, and Sub Lieutenant M Aditya as Platoon Commanders.
Significantly, for the first time in history, the marching contingent consisted of 3 women and 6 men Agniveers. As soon as tableaux were presented on the duty path, the country’s cultural prowess was displayed on the occasion. States including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Tripura dominated the women empowerment theme on the path of duty.
Royal camels of BSF led by Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Khichi marched on the duty path. For the first time, women riders on their decorated camels participated in the Republic Day Parade 2023 following the ‘Caravan’, showcasing the theme of empowerment of Indian women in various fields.
As the tableau came to an end, the duty path was witness to some astonishing motorcycle display and the sky above was evidence of a breath-taking airshow by the jets of the Indian Air Force. At the end of the airshow, there was the national anthem, marking the conclusion of the event. President Murmu and the President of Egypt were escorted from the dais to the motorcade. PM Modi shook hands and greeted the people present on the occasion.