Back in 1950, when we celebrated our first Republic Day; things were not as they are today. This day was more than just a national holiday, more than just posting some serious patriotic quotes on social media and was definitely more than sharing selfies with our tri-colored flags. How things have changed since then, not only sometimes haunt us but makes us realise how far we’ve come from the time when our Indian constitution was framed.
With every generation, comes a new definition of patriotism. For some it might be undying love for one’s country, for others it just might be an inspiration to change the circumstances to make one's own country a better place to live in. Whatever might be your definition, this day is sure to evoke the feeling of patriotism in you.
While some of you would be lucky enough to witness the Republic Day parade in person tomorrow, most of you would have already made plans to just get lousy and must be looking forward to a good morning’s sleep. To make sure you know what you’ll miss if you don’t wake up early enough to watch the parade, IBNLive.com brings you a list of 6 things that you might want to skip your sleep for.
Chief Guest: Francois Hollande, President of France
For the first time in 66 years, a foreign army would be ambling down the Rajpath along with our Indian troops. A contingent of French soldiers will be participating in the celebrations. Back in 2009, soldiers from Indian armed forces marched down the Champs Elysees as France celebrated its revolution with the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789. History definitely repeats itself.
Guess who’s making a comeback this year? Army dogs! After a long gap of 26 years, the Army dogs will be marching down this year. The canine team with 36 Labradors and German Shepherds have been selected purely on merits and have various savior roles to their credit.
While the format remains the same, the duration has been brought down by 25 minutes (from 115 minutes to 90 minutes).
2016 is indeed going to be a full-fledged women oriented year. Every year, the main attraction of the parade is Army jawans showcasing dangerous bike stunts. This year too, the bike stunts will be the highlight; but with an all-women stunt contingent. ‘Women Daredevils CRPF’ comprising of 120 women soldiers, is all set to make every Indian proud tomorrow.
Another important development this year is the motorized glass roof as a VVIP enclosure that will be protecting the guests from any uncalled situation.
While there are so many things to look forward to, there are quite a few not-so-happy updates too. No camel contingent, no paramilitary forces like ITBP, CISF and SSB this time.
But yes, we still wish you would skip your few hours of sleep just to watch the unity of our country.
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