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Covid-19 forces massive cut in R-Day ceremony
Only double vaccinated adults and single vaccinated children of age 15 and above will be allowed entry.
The spectator count at India’s biggest ceremonial event, the Republic Day parade, will be massively curtailed this year due to Covid-related restrictions with only 5,000 to 8,000 people allowed entry to Rajpath to witness the spectacular display of the country’s military might and cultural heritage, top officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
“We do not want the parade to become a superspreader event in the midst of the third Covid wave. The number of spectators has been significantly curtailed. We are still working on the final numbers but it’s going to be between 5,000 and 8,000 people” said one of the officials cited above.
Only double vaccinated adults and single vaccinated children of age 15 and above will be allowed entry.
The January 26 parade was attended by around 25,000 spectators amid the ebbing second wave, compared to around 125,000 people who typically turned up at Rajpath to watch the event in the pre-pandemic era.
A new show with 1,000 drones is expected to add sparkle to the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29, which marks the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations.
“This ‘Make in India’ initiative (drone show) has been organised by a startup, Botlab Dynamics, supported by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the department of science and technology. Only the US, Russia and China have the capability for a show with 1,000 drones,” the official said. The duration of the show will be 10 minutes.
The Republic Day parade will begin at 10.30 am, instead of the traditional timing of 10 am, for better visibility to the parade and the fly past --- the highlight of the event.
The fly past, comprising 75 aircraft in India’s 75th year of Independence, will feature flying formations to commemorate some glorious moments of India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war, including the historic Tangail airdrop and the Meghna heli-borne operation.
The defence ministry has conceptualised a raft of new events to mark the Republic Day celebrations as the country is also observing the 75th year of its Independence, a second official said.
This year onwards, Republic Day celebrations will begin on January 23, the birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, instead of January 24, and culminate on January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.
This year marks Bose’s 125th birth anniversary. On January 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for outstanding work in disaster management at a ceremony to be held at India Gate, said a third official.
On January 26, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will launch a programme called Shaheedon ko Shat Shat Naman, as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, to honour the sacrifices of fallen heroes. “The next of kin (NOK) of around 5,000 fallen heroes will be presented the ‘Plaque of Gratitude,’ by NCC cadets. Each plaque signed by the PM. This activity will be carried out around the same time when the PM pays homage at the National War Memorial in New Delhi,” the first official said.
This will mark the beginning of the programme, which will carry on till August 15, 2022 by when the cadets would have felicitated the NOKs of all 26,466 fallen heroes whose names are inscribed on the memorial.
Huge scrolls, measuring 75 metres by 15 feet each, will serve as view cutters in the spectator stands along Rajpath. “Ten scrolls were prepared taking inspiration from the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle,” the official said.
For the first time, dancers taking part in the cultural segment of the parade have been selected through a nation-wide competition called ‘Vande Bharatam,’ which ended with the selection of 600 dancers. The aim of the competition was to hunt for dancing talent from across the country and provide equal opportunity to all to perform at the parade, the officials said.
Ten large LED screens, five on either side of Rajpath, will be installed for a better viewing experience.
The invitation cards for the parade will be different too this year. The seeds of medicinal plants such as ashwagandha, aloe vera and amla will be embedded in the invites for people to plant them later.
This year, the government has also reserved seats for people who usually do not get an opportunity to witness the parade. Seats have been earmarked for autorickshaw drivers, construction workers, safai workers and frontline health workers at both the parade and the Beating Retreat ceremony.
