In this screenshot taken from @narendramodi via Youtube
Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives chief guest President of Indonesia
Prabowo Subianto for the 76th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path, in New Delhi,
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (@narendramodi via PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto watched India's 76th
Republic-Day celebrations at the majestic Kartavya Path on Sunday, joining a
select group of global leaders to have graced the nation's biggest ceremonial
event in the last seven decades.
Subianto's presence at the grand parade came 75 years after
Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, attended India's first Republic-Day
celebrations in 1950 as the chief guest.
As the chief guest at the ceremony, Subianto witnessed a
grand military parade and cultural performances along with President Droupadi
Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the Union Cabinet and a host of
other dignitaries at Kartavya Path, the centrepiece boulevard of the national
capital.
Subianto, a former defence minister, is the fourth
Indonesian president to attend India's Republic-Day celebrations.
The Indonesian president, accompanied by a high-powered
delegation of six cabinet ministers, senior officials and a very large business
contingent, arrived in India on Thursday night on a four-day state visit.
A 352-member marching and band contingent from Indonesia
also participated in the Republic-Day parade.
This was the first time that an Indonesian marching and band
contingent participated in a national-day parade abroad.
Subianto himself had taken great interest in the rehearsals
of the Indonesian military contingent in Jakarta before it left for India, it
is learnt.
Subianto held wide-ranging talks with Modi on Saturday, with
a focus on expanding the overall defence cooperation between the two countries.
At the parade, India displayed its military might that
included elite marching contingents, missiles and indigenous weapon systems.
Every year, India invites world leaders to attend its
Republic-Day celebrations.
Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron was the
Republic-Day chief guest, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi graced
the occasion in 2023.
There was no Republic-Day chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in
view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the
chief guest at the Republic-Day celebrations.
In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the
chief guest at the Republic-Day parade, while in 2018, the leaders of all 10
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries attended the
celebrations.
In 2017, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed
Al Nahyan was the chief guest at the celebrations, while then French President
Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016.
Then US President Barack Obama watched the parade as the
chief guest in 2015.
In 2014, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the
chief guest at the celebrations, while Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013.
The heads of state and government who have attended the
Republic-Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson
Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.
The then British Prime Minister Major attended the
celebrations in 1993, Mandela participated as then South African President in
1995, while South Korean President Lee Myung Bak witnessed the parade in 2010.
In 2008, Sarkozy participated in the celebrations as the
French president, while another French president, Chirac, graced the occasion
in 1998.
Other world leaders who have attended the celebrations
include Nepal's King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 1999, Iran's then
President Khatami in 2003, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in
2011 and President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1991.
Around 10,000 special
guests attend Republic Day parade
Village sarpanches, disaster relief workers, ASHA workers
and Paralympic athletes were among around 10,000 special guests who attended
the Republic Day parade here at Kartavya Path on Sunday.
The invitation was sent to the special guests from diverse
fields in line with the government's objective to increase 'Jan Bhagidari' in
events of national importance. These included people who made the best use of
government schemes.
Sarpanches whose villages achieved targets in selected
government initiatives were invited. A national-level competition was announced
by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances among
panchayats.
Sarpanches, under whom targets in at least six flagship
schemes were achieved, were selected as special guests. Over 500 of them from
top-performing villages were among the special guests.
Around 300 disaster relief workers, 300 guests from vibrant
villages, 400 water warriors, 200 representatives from Primary Agriculture
Credit (PAC) Societies, 400 from 'Pani Samitis', 400 community resource persons
like Krishi Sakhis, Udhyog Sakhis and 200 Self-Help Group members, were among
those invited to witness the parade.
Around 200 trainees of Directorate General of Training (DGT)
who got training under National Skill Development Corporation, 400 awardees of
PM YASASVI scheme, 200 forest and wildlife conservation volunteers/workers, 200
handloom artisans, 200 handicraft artisans, 500 special achievers and tribal
beneficiaries of various schemes, 500 ASHA workers, 400 anganwadi workers, 200
Paralympic contingent and winners of international sports events and 400
participants of Mann Ki Baat were also present at special guests.
Other special guests included around 100 patent holders and
100 start-ups, besides 300 road construction workers and beneficiaries of
government schemes.
Farmers and families who use renewable energy under PM Surya
Ghar scheme and PM KUSUM were also been invited for the first time.
In addition to attending the Republic Day celebrations, the
special guests also visited the National War Memorial, PM Sangrahalay and other
prominent places in Delhi.
