Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 7: The 2024 Republic Day parade is likely to be comprising only of women participants. Official sources disclosed on Sunday that from the marching contingents and bands to the tableaux and performances there would be only women contingents in a radical shake-up of the annual ceremony held on January 26 held at “Kartavya Path” (Previously Rajpath).
The decision, part of a larger effort to promote female representation and empowerment in the military and other sectors, has been conveyed to the armed forces and government departments and its implementation is being worked out, the sources said.
The move could help boost up women’s support to the Narendra Modi government which will be facing the electorate by May-June next year.
The Defence Ministry had circulated an office memorandum in March to the three services and various ministries and departments on the planning for the 2024 parade, they said. The memorandum mentioned such a proposal being considered and added that a “de-briefing meeting” was held under the chairmanship of the Defence Secretary in early February, the sources said.
“After deliberations, it has been decided that the Republic Day Parade 2024 will have only women participants in the contingents (marching and band), tableaux and other performances during the parade at the Kartavya Path,” the memorandum stated.
The memorandum was issued after a debriefing meeting chaired by defence secretary Giridhar Aramane in February on the Republic Day parade held on 26 January this year. Representatives from the service headquarters, Ministries of Home Affairs, Culture, and Education were also present in the meeting.
The memorandum directed all participating ministries, departments, organisations and agencies to start preparation for this and to update the progress regularly. It has taken the defence establishment by surprise and has drawn flak from various corners.
Army sources confirmed that they had received the letter and were discussing how to implement it. The Republic Day parade is a showcase of India’s military might, cultural diversity and achievements, with thousands in attendance and millions more watching on television.
It also honours the country’s freedom fighters and in recent years, the parade has seen several milestones for women’s representation and leadership in the armed forces and other fields. The defence forces and paramilitary units have been increasingly choosing women as contingent commanders and deputy commanders.
In 2015, for the first time, an all-women contingent from each of the three services marched in the parade. In 2019, Captain Shikha Surabhi became the first woman officer to perform a bike stunt as part of the Army’s Daredevils team. The next year, Captain Tania Shergill became the first woman officer to lead an all-men contingent. In 2021, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the parade.
Even in the 2023 Republic Day parade, “Nari Shakti” was a dominant theme in the tableaux of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Tripura. The Indian Air Force marching contingent of 144 air warriors was led by a woman officer, with three supernumerary male officers in the 2023 parade, which was the first Republic Day celebrations held at the ceremonial boulevard since the revamping of the Central Vista and renaming of Rajpath last year.
The IAF’s marching contingent in the Republic Day parade this year was led by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, a Mi-17 helicopter pilot, and Lt Cdr Disha Amrith, an observer with the Navy’s Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft, led the naval contingent of 144 sailors. In the parade, a team of “daredevils” motorcycle riders from Corps of Signals, was co-led by a woman officer. Women were part of the BSF camel contingent for the first time this year.
However, sources in the government said this would effectively mean having the maximum representation of women in the parade, given that certain marching contingents like that of the Army’s infantry cannot have women participants. The Army is yet to open core combat arms like infantry, mechanised infantry, and armoured corps for women, even as it has recently inducted five women officers in the Regiment of Artillery, which is a combat support arm.
The first Republic Day celebrations were held in 1950 at the Irwin Stadium (renamed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium), and since 1951, the ceremonial parade has been taking place on Rajpath. Various States and Union Territories, besides several departments and ministries every year showcase culture and heritage, among other themes, through colourful tableaux. In a historic first, the Indian Army recently inducted five women officers into its regiment of artillery.