AP PHOTOS: protesters rehearse for the Indian Republic Day parade
By MANISH SWARUP
NEW DELHI (AP) – Wielding a sword and wearing a turban in the colors of his regiment, Indian Army Major Piyush Sharma thundered: “Troops, get ready to march.”
At his behest, the camel-mounted regiment – its mustache horsemen led by bands of shiny metal with sparkling tubas – quickly descended a boulevard in the Indian capital on Friday in rehearsal for the annual Republic Day parade.
“I cannot describe my feelings in words. It is a great honor to lead my contingent, ”said Sharma, 28.
Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country’s constitution on January 26, 1950. Thousands gather in Rajpath, a ceremonial avenue in New Delhi, to watch an extravagant display of the country’s military power and cultural diversity. Students, folk dancers, police and military battalions march along the parade route, followed by an exhibition of military equipment.
But what is behind the high-precision parade – broadcast live and watched by millions of Indians across the country – are weeks and weeks of practice in the bitter cold of winter.
Due to a fervent national campaign to ward off the coronavirus, participants in this year’s trials marched with faces covered in masks.
The crowd that came to watch was small, facing a fog and cold while they were along the sides of the boulevard.
Because of the pandemic, viewers of the Republic Day parade next Tuesday will be limited to impose social distance, and some events will be canceled.
India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.