Republic Day 2020: Dhanush Artillery Gun, Chinook Choppers, All-Women Bike Stunts Make India Proud

India marked its 71st Republic Day with a grand military parade and exhibition of its history, cultural diversity and strategic weaponry at the Rajpath on Sunday. This year's Republic Day was unique for India in many ways. There were several firsts in the celebration this year, including the prime minister paying homage at the National War Memorial, display of Chinook and Apache helicopters in the fly past and showcasing of the A-SAT weapons system. Twenty-two tableaux were on display during the parade, of which 16 were of various states and UTs and six were of ministries, departments and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The band played the national anthem with a 21-gun salute in the background when the tricolour was unfurled by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rajpath before the start of parade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at the National War Memorial along with the service chiefs for all the three armed forces i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar were also present on the occasion. 

Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro was the chief guest for this year's ceremony. This was the third time that a Brazilian president was the chief guest at the Republic Day.

Republic Day 2020 Parade: Highlights 

• Captain Tanya Shergil, a fourth generation Army Officer led an all-male marching contingent of the Indian Army Corps of Signals. The motto of the Corps is "Teevra Chaukas".
• Republic Day parade witnessed an all-woman biker contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• Dhanush artillery gun was included for the first time. Dhanush is indigenous long-range artillery developed in-house by Ordnance Factory Board under the flagship project of Make in India.
• The 'Dhanush' gun system, commanded by Captain Mrigank Bharadwaj, was part of the celebrations for the first time on Sunday. The gun with a maximum range of 36.5 km has the capability of automatic gun alignment and positioning..
• Indian Air Force (IAF) also participated in the Republic Day Parade with its tableau showcasing scaled system of the five-fighter system. The models on display during Parade included Rafale Fighter Jet and Tejas Aircraft. 
• The fly-past saw the participation of the newly inducted Apache and Chinook heavy lift helicopters for the first time.
• The fly-past consisted a total of 41 aircrafts of the IAF including 16 fighter jets, 10 transport aircrafts and 4 Helicopters of the Army Aviation Wing.
• Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapon system was also showcased in the parade.

Themes for 71st Republic Day tableaux

Out of the total 22 tableaux, 16 were of various states and UTs and six of ministries, departments and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The tableaux were presented as part of India's strength in its "Unity in Diversity".

Jammu and Kashmir, which participated in the parade for the first time as a Union Territory, had the "Back to Village'' programme as the theme for its tableau. While Goa's tableau highlighted its biodiversity and 'save the frog', its anti-frog poaching campaign, Indian Air Force's tableau was a scaled down model of Rafale aircraft, Tejas aircraft, Light Combat Helicopters, Akash Missiles System, and Astra Missiles against a sky blue background.

The tableau of the Ministry of Jal Shakti showcased government's new initiative "Jal Jeevan Mission" which aims to provide a functional tap connection to every rural household by 2024. The National Disaster Response Force's tableau showcased the cutting-edge technology used by the agency during rescue operations in flood-hit areas and Delhi's Anaj Mandi inferno last year.

• Gujarat - Rani ki Vav - Jal Mandir
• Meghalaya- Living Root Bridge
• Punjab- 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev
• Rajasthan - Jaali Jharokha
• Jammu & Kashmir - Back to Village
• NDRF - Disaster Relief Technology
• Ministry of Finance - Financial Inclusion
• Ministry of Commerce - Startup India

Also Read: Republic Day | India Displays Military Might At Rajpath, Celebrations Across Country

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were among those who attended the celebrations.

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