ASEAN Leaders As Chief Guests, 100-Foot Wide Stage For 69th Republic Day Parade: 10 Points

New Delhi:

India celebrates its 69th Republic Day today with a record 10 Heads of States, from ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, watching the grand parade with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajpath, the ceremonial road in the heart of Delhi. They will be seated on a 100-foot stage enclosed by bullet-proof glass, three times bigger than last year, their presence demonstrating India’s emphasis on progressing from a ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’ policy. There is unprecedented security in Delhi with mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters keeping a watch on the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort.

Here are top 10 points on the 69th Republic Day celebrations:

1. India’s 25-year partnership with ASEAN nations is at the core of its strategy to counter China’s dominance and influence in the region.
2. The ASEAN leaders will first go to the presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan. From there, cars ferrying these leaders will start rolling down the Raisina Hill at 9:35 am. The first to arrive will be the Prime Minister of Brunei and the last will be the Thai king.
3. The parade will begin after PM Modi pays homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate to soldiers who died in the line of duty.
4. India’s military might and cultural heritage will be on full display at the parade. Two tableaux will showcase India’s historical, civilisational, educational, religious and cultural ties with the ASEAN nations.
5. One of the main spectacles of the parade will be the breathtaking stunts on motorcycles performed by ‘Seema Bhawani’ – a group of 113 women from the Border Security Force or BSF. The group would be a first all-women contingent from any force to perform biking stunts at the parade.
6. The Army’s T-90 tank, Brahmos Missile System and Akash Weapon System will be the main draw in the mechanised columns. An Air Force tableau, themed "Indian Air Force Encouraging Indigenisation", will display models of Tejas Multirole Fighter Aircraft, Rudra Helicopter, Arudhra Radar and Akash missile system.
7. The government has selected 85 personalities including ace cueist player Pankaj Advani, cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the Metropolitan Bishop of the Mar Thomas Syrian Church Philipose Mar Chrysostom for the Padma awards.
8. The parade will feature tableaux from 14 states and Union Territories, nine ministries, departments and central paramilitary forces.
9. The grand finale of the parade will be a fly past by the Indian Air Force. C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster, Su-30 MKIs and LCA Tejas will be among the aircraft that will fly in different formations.
10. Nearly 60,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and central security forces have been deployed in Central Delhi. Snipers have been stationed on top of high-rise buildings while scores of CCTV cameras are keeping a tight vigil on people’s movements on the parade route.