New Delhi, Jan 26: The nation’s military prowess and achievements in different fields besides state-of- the-art defence platforms and social traditions were showcased in a brilliant parade on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day.
For the first time in the history of Republic Day parade, a 76-member French Army contingent took part in the parade, which was the highlight of the event.
The contingent led by a French military band consisting of 48 musicians, marched on the Rajpath and it was the first time that a foreign contingent marched with the Indian Army.
After a gap of 26 years, army’s dog squad drawn from the Remount Veterinary Corps also took part in the parade.
For the first time, the tableau of ex-servicemen of Army veterans also showcased in the parade.
During the parade, the tableaux from 17 states and 6 Central Ministries and departments presented the varied historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the country at Rajpath.
Tableaux of Odisha, Sikkim, Gujarat, Tripura, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir passed through Rajpath.
Indian 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 ICEWS were the main draw at the parade.
French President Francois Hollande was chief guest at the parade. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minster Narendra Modi, Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were among other dignitaries present on the occasion.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the battle field for the country. The heads of the three services of Indian Armed Forces also paid their homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti.
The security has been tightened in the national capital, particularly around Rajpath and the parade route.
Around 50,000 security personnel, including 15,000 from the paramilitary were deployed across the city.
In view of recent terror attacks in Paris and at Pathankot air base, stringent measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incident.
