Tens of thousands watch parade celebrating India’s 76th Republic Day
Visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the event as the chief guest.
India has celebrated its 76th Republic Day with a colourful parade displaying its military might and cultural diversity on a boulevard in the heart of the country’s capital.
Tens of thousands of people lined the road on a cold Sunday morning to watch the long parade to mark the anniversary of the official adoption of India’s constitution on January 26 1950, nearly three years after independence from British colonial rule.
Soldiers from India’s military and paramilitary, along with their bands, marched as the country’s leaders and other guests watched.
Various floats displayed India’s cultural diversity with one showcasing the Maha Kumbh festival, the ongoing massive Hindu festival touted as the world’s largest religious gathering.
Visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the event as the chief guest and was flanked by India’s president and prime minister. A 342-strong band and marching contingent from the Indonesian National Armed Forces joined the parade, the first time the ASEAN country’s troops have joined any foreign parade.
India traditionally invites foreign leaders to witness the spectacle. French President Emmanuel Macron was the guest of honour last year and former US president Barack Obama in 2015. Ten Southeast Asian leaders watched the parade in 2018.
Thousands of men and women in colourful costumes performed traditional dances and pulled motorbike stunts during the 90-minute parade. It also showcased India’s domestically built defence equipment and military systems, including tanks, infantry combat vehicles, radar systems and missile systems.
Some 5,000 artists, carrying traditional props like spears, swords and drums, performed over 40 dance forms from different parts of India in a cultural performance that lasted about 10 minutes.
The parade ended with a fly-past by air force fighters, including Rafale jets, transport planes and helicopters.
In Srinagar, the main city of disputed Kashmir, armed police and soldiers patrolled as regional officials celebrated Republic Day. Hundreds of people braved winter chills to witness the parade amid additional security, with police and soldiers checking vehicles and frisking pedestrians.
India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989.
