India celebrates 72nd Republic Day
Today marks the 72nd anniversary of India’s constitution coming into effect on 26th January 1950.
By Vikram Malik, Maritime Direct India Correspondent
In visibly understated yet not dispirited fashion, India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day today, with the usual parade seen each year on Rajpath in the country’s capital, New Delhi.
Amidst strict social distancing norms enforced on the limited guests at the parade, noticeably absent was the designated chief guest for the day, the Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, preoccupied with his nation’s fight against the new Coronavirus variant back home.
The Indian Navy’s maritime prowess was amply showcased at the parade, including murals depicting a Petya class ship, Operation X divers, and ships from the India-Pakistan war of 1971. The naval tableau for this year featured ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’, marking 50 years of East Pakistan’s liberation to form the nation we know today as Bangladesh.
The parade also witnessed a marching contingent of the Indian Coast Guard led by Deputy Commandant Ashish Nagar. In charge of keeping India’s maritime frontiers safe and secure, the Indian Coast Guard comprises 62 air assets and 155 surface units.
The video below provides a sneak peek into all that the Indian Navy displayed at Republic Day 2021:
