It is the stuff a nation’s pride is built of. Around this time of the year, a little spark comes to every Indian’s eye as we get a glimpse of the military might of the nation as soldiers march down Rajpath. Accompanying them are tanks as we wonder how must it be on the frontier. Almost on cue, somebody in the neighbourhood would be playing Kavi Pradeep’s “Ae mere watan ke logon”, a song rendered so beautifully by Lata Mangeshkar that even Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is said to have shed a tear.
Through with a look at the redoubtable arsenal of India, we take a glance at the colourful tapestry of the nation. As seasoned commentator Jasdev Singh’s voice pierces the silence of bone-chilling winter morning, there are lots of beaming faces, smiling eyes. Among them have been the visiting presidents, prime ministers and kings of neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, even Mauritius as we have shared our joy with like-minded nations.
Not everything though is hunky-dory. In the run-up to the Republic Day, many of us crib, complain, carp, even wonder aloud if the parade serves any purpose. We express dismay at traffic diversions as soldiers and artistes rehearse for the important day.
The mind goes back to that rare sight of a few cops atop people’s havelis, hotels and other high rises, ready with their guns. Or the cops asking the offices and shops to shut down ahead of the day. Everything prim and proper, safe and sound.
This year though, everything seems so different, radically different. There are cops all around. Atop ITC Maurya where the U.S. President Barack Obama, the Day chief guest this year, is due to stay. There has been a lot of talk of the car Obama would travel in, will it be in our President’s car or his own? Forget cars, even the helicopter he would use is being assembled afresh. And cops fine-comb the city keeping a hawk-like eye on everything. On the roads of Lutyens’ Delhi, vendors have been moved aside or asked to scale down their operations. Road dividers are being painted anew, potholes filled up, new saplings sowed.
But one question begs an answer as we get ready for our Republic Day: Mitro, will the right of the patriots be respected?
