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Most probably not new information about India for many, but let’s go for a flashback to a little geography overview … India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress since their Independence. Is is the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.

Republic Day has been celebrated every year in India on January, 26, since 1950 honoring the date. This year the country marked its 72nd Republic Day. In 1950 the Constitution of India came into effect. India was a colony of the British for over 200 years and thenafter, it became independent from the rule of the British Raj following the struggle of the Indian independence movement.

Overview: The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent republic. Was chosen the date January, 26. as the date for Republic day because it was on this day in 1929 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by the British Regime.

January, 26 India celebrated R-Day by hosting the national flag, the parade of Defence and paramilitary forces, several festivities like parades are observed, which honours the Indian military forces and their cultural heritage. Each year the R-Day parade celebration starting point begins at Rajpath in New Delhi holding its way through from Rashtrapati Bhavan and end at India Gate. Unlike every year when the Republic Day parade are attended by thousands of people, this year celebrations were toned down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was the first to be organized amid the covid-19 pandemic which meant celebrations had to be taken with many changes, including a shorter route for the parade and much less public participation around the events.

Each year in he past were invited foreigner chief guest. However, this year’s celebration of Republic Day as a/m looked a little different due to the coronavirus. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited UK PM Borish Johnson for the 72nd Republic Day to be the chief guest but he called off his India trip due to the mounting covid-19 cases at home caused by a virulent variant of the SARS-CoV2 strain that triggers covid-19.

The last time the parade did not have chief guest was in 1966 when Indira Gandhi was sworn in as PM on January,24 after the demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

India R-Day 2021

The ceremonial parade started off in the morning hours with the Presidential Guard escorting President Ram Nath Kovind from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the saluting dias. But this year, the parade … which usually start off from Vijay Chowk and winds its way down to the Red Fort and covers a distance of 8.2 kms … to terminate at the National Stadium. This meant that it was covered just about 1/3 or and distance cca. 3.3 km.

Missing this year at the parade were the veterans’ contingent that consists of ex-servicemen and women. Were absent the motorcycle stunts by troops of the army and the Central Armed Police Force personnel.
Each member of the contingents were wearing their mask – as per the protocol laid down by the Indian government to prevent the transmission of covid-19. In keeping with the social distancing rules, the six-day Bharat Parv – showcasing cuisines of various states – usually organized on Rajpath lawns from  January, 26-31 was neither to be held. 

A new additions to this year’s parade was including the Territorial Army contingent of the Madras regiment from Andaman and Nicobar islands – the first time the island chain is being presented at a Republic Day parade in New Delhi.

© Aggie Reiter