At 67, republic shows no sign of ageing

NEW DELHI: The 67th Republic Day Parade at Rajpath had India’s youth power on full display. People braved the chill and gruelling security checks to watch this annual event that had French president Francois Hollande as the chief guest.
After the National Anthem, President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest gallantry award in peacetime, posthumously to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami.The parade began right after that.
This year’s chief attraction was the French Army contingent of the 35th Infantry Regiment that included a band that played Sambre et Meuse. The Indian contingents marched right behind them and, as usual, were a mix of infantry, cavalry and mechanised columns. The crowd particularly cheered a contingent of Army dogs and their handlers, which was reintroduced this time after 26 years. A march past by veterans was replaced by a tableau highlighting the contribution of ex-faujis in nation building.
The Delhi Police and BSF’s camel contingents, which had been taken off the parade initially, were included at the last moment on public demand. The parade timing, too, was cut short by an hour. Nevertheless, it included the cultural tableaux, dance performances and motorcycle daredevilry. There were special tableaux on the PM’s flagship schemes like Digital India and Swachh Bharat too.
The parade ended with a flypast.