India goes tricolour on 63rd Republic Day
It was a celebration of India in all its diversity, complexities and colour. The 63rd Republic Day unfolded on Thursday with a grand pageant here showcasing a resurgent India's military power and culture kaleidoscope
and also millions of tricolours hoisted across the country in ceremonies big and small.
There were boycott calls by insurgents in parts of the country, including restive Chhattisgarh and Orissa, where Maoists hold control over large swathes of territory, and in volatile northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, but the day passed off peacefully. And even in these cynical times, when fatigue with the government, corruption and rising prices dominates daily discourse, people came out in large numbers to celebrate the day.
The impressive march-past was watched by Chief Guest Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony, UPA Chairperson
Sonia Gandhi, Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh and top political and military brass.
The beginnings are traditionally sombre and so it was Thursday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laying down a floral wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay tribute to an unknown soldier. Soon after, a grateful nation acknowledged one of its heroes when President Pratibha Patil posthumously conferred the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry award, to young army commando Lt. Navdeep Singh, who died battling terrorists in Kashmir.
There were camels and horses, the showcasing of India's advanced arsenal, including India's latest nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni-IV displayed for the first time, elaborate tableaux from states and ministries and schoolchildren dancing down the road.
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