SHOW OF PRIDE': Highlights from India's Republic Day parade
In a display of India's military might, Rafale fighter jets took part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time as the armed forces showcased its T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets on the Rajpath on Tuesday.
Depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage and economic progress, 17 tableaux from states and union territories and nine from different Union ministries and paramilitary forces took part in the 72nd Republic day parade. Six tableaux of the defence ministry also attended the event.
School children performed folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations. Bajasal, a folk dance from Kalahandi in Odisha, the Fit India Movement and Aatmanirbhar Bharat were also displayed on the Rajpath.
This year, the attendance to the Republic Day parade was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those below 15 years of age and above 65 were not allowed among the visitors at the venue.
The parade also witnessed several major changes. The contingents only marched a distance of 3.5 km instead of the usual 8.5 km and for the first time in 55 years, no foreign dignitary attended the January 26 parade.
However, a 122-member contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces marched on Rajpath. They carried the legacy of legendary muktijoddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against 'oppression and mass atrocities' and liberated the country in 1971.
India is currently celebrating the Swarnim Vijay Varsh -- the Golden Jubilee year -- commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
The Indian Army showcased its main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the BrahMos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade on Tuesday.
The Navy's tableau at the Republic Day parade this year displayed models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
Bhawana Kanth – 1st Woman Fighter Pilot to Be Part Of R-Day Parade
The first woman in India to qualify for combat mission in a fighter jet – Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth – added another first to her name, on Tuesday, 26 January.
Scripting history, she was the first woman fighter pilot to participate in the Republic Day fly past.
“Since my childhood, I have been watching Republic Day parade on television and it’s a matter of pride that now I’m participating in it. I would love to fly other fighter jets, including Rafale and Sukhoi,” Kanth told India Today, earlier this week.
She will be a part of the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau that will showcase mock-ups of the light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.
First Woman Fighter Pilot to Qualify For Combat Missions
Kanth, along with Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh, was inducted into the IAF as the first women fighter pilots in 2016.
She had joined the fighter squadron in November 2017 and flew her first solo flight on a MiG-21 Bison in March 2018.
In May 2019, she became the first woman fighter pilot to qualify for combat missions. Posted in an airbase in Rajasthan now, the 29-year-old flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
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