Republic Day Parade 2020 ~ motor cycle daredevilry

From my childhood days ~ I have relished Indian Republic Day more – living closer to Marina beach, the RD parade has always been a great attraction.  This morning TN Governor Sri Bhanwarilal Purohit hoisted the National flag and flagged off the parade.

70   years back, a salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on January 26, 1950; that significant day was  894 days after our country became a dominion following withdrawal of British Rule. Since then, every year the day is celebrated with great pride and happiness all over the nation. The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign, secular, and democratic nation was indeed historical. It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the conceptualisation of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950.

The seeds of a republican nation were sowed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress at the midnight of 31st December 1929. Those present in the meeting took a pledge to mark January 26 as "Independence Day" in order to march towards realizing the dream of complete independence from the British. The Lahore Session paved way to the Civil Disobedience movement. It was decided that January 26, 1930 would be observed as the Purna Swaraj (complete Independence) Day.

On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies and parades by armed forces and school children are held in different parts of the country. The grandest and most important of these parades is held at Rajpath in New Delhi, which showcases a multi-hued image of the country's rich cultural heritage and military prowess. This parade is presided over by the President of India.

26th Jan 2020 marked the 71^st Republic Day of the Nation.  At the National Capital, the celebrations began  at 9am with the flag-hoisting ceremony by President Ram Nath Kovind, after which the Republic Day parade started from Rajpath.   To mark the importance of the Republic Day, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill  Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's residence), along the Rajpath, past India Gate. Similar parades are held in State Capitals and in District headquarters too.  In Chennai, in Kamarajar salai, there was a grand parade – first by armed forces, police and others – with school children and other cultural dances, followed by the tableaux representing the might of armed forces and then floats of various State Govt. departments.

Tailpiece :  on the Independence Day right from 1947, the Prime Minister of the Nation unfurls the National flag at Red Fort; while it is President on Republic Day.  In the States, it is the CM & Governor respectively.  However on RD 2017, it was TN CM Mr O Panneerselvam who  hoisted the national flag for the first time on the 68th  Republic day of India at the Marina beach in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Governor (in-charge) C Vidyasagar Rao holding dual charge  was in Mumbai on Republic Day and hence the flag was hoisted by the CM.

Here are some photos taken this morning during the Parade in Chennai. Gripping acrobatics on motorbikes by the daredevils of the Army's Corps of Signals, drew loud applause at the  Republic Day celebrations. There was daredevilry, formations including display of  'Jimmy', a symbol of the Corps of Signals, balancing himself belly down on his moving motorcycle, displaying the 'swift and secure' traits of the corps. The last 5 photos are of Delhi parade courtesy pib.nic.in

With regards – S. Sampathkumar    

30^th Jan 2020.