NEW DELHI: Marking a special gesture for UAE, a contingent of the influential Arab country’s armed forces today led the main parade of India’s 68th Republic Day parade at the majestic Rajpath here
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chief Guest at the Republic Day, said UAE’s participation “reflects the depth of our ties which are based on mutual respect and common interests” as he hailed the Indian values and diversity showcased in the parade.
As the Crown Prince, seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, witnessed the parade, a 149-member contingent from UAE along with a band comprising 35 musicians marched down the Rajpath for the first time. Led by Lt Col Abood Musabeh Abood Musabeh Alghfeli, the UAE contingent comprised a mix of personnel from the Presidential Guards, the Air Force, the Navy and the Army. They carried M-16 rifles as they marched past the dais from where President Pranab Mukherjee took the salute. The UAE military contingent was followed by an impressive military band of 35 musicians, dressed in white trousers and red bandhgala coat and playing delightful marching tune “Kaptien”. Members of the delegation of the Crown Prince were seen clicking photographs and making videos using their mobile phones as the UAE contingent passed by. The Crown Prince conveyed his message through a series of tweets on MBZNews, his official Twitter account. “I am very delighted and honored to share Republic Day celebrations with the Indian people,” he said. The tweets, both in Arabic and English, said Mohamed bin Zayed attended India’s Republic Day celebrations “amid a warm official and popular reception” and “conveys Sheikh Khalifa and UAE’s people greetings to the Indian people and government on the occasion of Republic Day.” He added, “Republic Day is an example of how positive values propel nations into greatness. This is something that we in the UAE takes at heart.” Hailing the host country’s diversity, Al Nahyan said, “India sends a civilized message to the rest of the world as its people – from diverse ethnicities, religions and sects – celebrate in unity.” He noted that the day “marks a turning point in Indian history: a political system that celebrates diversity within unified national fabric was formed.” The UAE is the second country after France whose troops participated in the Republic-Day parade of India, a tradition started last year. The UAE contingent got a formal invitation from the Indian Army to participate in the Republic Day parade about three-four weeks ago. The Arab nation was initially wanted to send its paratroopers, but the Defence Ministry did not agree to it. Senior army officials said it was a good chance for Indian troops to interact with their UAE counterparts. The national capital was on Thursday wrapped in an unprecedented security cover with thousands of security force personnel keeping a hawk-eye vigil to ward off any terror strike or untoward incident during the 68th Republic Day celebrations Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters were deployed to keep a watch on the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort besides nearby localities There were intelligence inputs that terror groups may try to carry out attacks. Delhi Police was sent a special advisory informing them that terror groups might use animals to target crowded areas like important installations, railway stations, etc to create a panic As per earlier intelligence inputs, terror groups like LeT may be planning to use helicopter charter services and charter flights to launch attacks Snipers were on top of high-rise buildings while around scores of CCTV cameras kept a tight vigil on people’s movements on the parade route Elaborate air defence measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, were also put in place to secure the air space Nearly 60,000 security personnel drawn from Delhi Police and Central security forces have been deployed in Central Delhi. Police is also using counter-drone technology to thwart any attack or identify any suspicious flying object, a senior police officer said Security personnel identified vulnerable spots like crowded markets, railway stations, bus stands and other high- value establishments and efforts were made to secure them Traffic police deployed around 1,500 personnel to manage route diversions during the parade Patrolling in public places was intensified and checking and frisking in metro, railway stations and bus terminals tightened. .–PTI
