Staff Reporter / New Delhi
The 75th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on 26th of January will be women-centric with the themes of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka’. Briefing media here today, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said, women marching contingents will form the major chunk of the parade.
He said, most of the tableaux of States and Union Territories, Central Ministries and Organisations will showcase the country’s rich cultural diversity, unity and progress. Mr Aramane said, for the first time, the parade will be heralded by 100 women artists playing Indian musical instruments. He said, the parade would commence with the music of Sankh, Naadswaram, Nagada to be played by women artists. The parade will also witness an all-women Tri-Service contingent marching down Kartavya Path for the first time. The CAPF contingents will also consist of women personnel. The Defence Secretary said, best representation of women will be seen in this year’s Republic Day parade.
French President Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at this year’s Republic Day Parade. Mr Aramane said, a 95-member marching contingent and 33-member band contingent from France will also take part in the parade. He said, along with the aircraft of Indian Air Force, one Multi Role Tanker Transport MRTT aircraft and two Rafale aircraft of the French Air Force will participate in the Fly-past.
The Defence Secretary said, around 13 thousand Special Guests have also been invited to witness the parade this year. He said, the objective is to provide an opportunity to the people from all walks of life to take part in the national festival, in line with the Government’s vision of Jan Bhagidari. These Special Guests include best performers of various fields and those who made best use of various schemes of the Government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural & Urban), PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Street Vendor’s Aatmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna, PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Stand-Up India scheme, Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme and Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, women workers of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Electronic Manufacturing sectors and Central Vista Project, women Space Scientists of ISRO, Yoga Teachers under Ayushman Bharat, winners of international sports events and Paralympic medalists will also attend the parade, in addition to Best Self-Help Groups, Farmers Producer Organisations, references of PM Mann ki Baat programme and Super-100 of Project Veer Gatha 3.0 and winners of National School Band Competition. These special guests will be prominently seated at Kartavya Path.
Mr Aramane stated that given their tough livelihood, special emphasis was laid to include representatives of Vibrant Villages in the list of Special Guests for them to be part of the Republic Day celebrations of the country.
He said, a total of 25 tableaux, 16 from States and UTs and nine from Ministries, Departments and Organisations will roll down the Kartavya Path during the parade. The States and UTs are, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The Ministries and Organisations are, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Ministry of Culture, Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO, Council For Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR, Election Commission of India, and Central Public Works Department CPWD.
The Defence Secretary said, like each year, the tableaux have been selected by an expert committee comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography etc. He informed that to address the concerns of some States and UTs over the non-inclusion of their tableau in the parade, Ministry of Defence has devised a unique three-year roll-over plan, which ensures equitable participation on a rotational basis of all states and UTs over a period of three years.
The Ministry of Culture will be showcasing, Anant Sutra – The Endless Thread, textile installation at Kartavya Path. It will be installed behind the spectators seated in the enclosures. Anant Sutra is a visually-stunning tribute to the saree, India’s timeless gift to the world of fashion. This unique installation will showcase nearly 1,900 sarees and drapes from every corner of the country, mounted at a height with wooden frames along the Kartavya Path. It will have QR codes which can be scanned to know the details about weaving and embroidery arts used in it.
Mr Aramane said, as the Nation is celebrating 75th year of its Republic this year, Ministry of Defence will release a Commemorative Coin and Commemorative Stamp during the celebrations.