Republic Day: Attendance of 10 ASEAN heads, BSF women's motorcycle act among many firsts this year

New Delhi: India’s military might, culture, and diversity will be on full display in the Republic Day parade on Rajpath, which will see the ASEAN flag flying in the sky and a motorcycle contingent of women personnel of the BSF for the first time. For the first time, the R-Day parade will be attended by 10 heads of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). [caption id=“attachment_4316431” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Aircraft rehearsal ahead of Republic Day in New Delhi. PTI[/caption] The ASEAN flag will fly in the sky over Rajpath for the first time. Five Mi-17 V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force would precede the parade commander and the lead helicopter will carry the national flag. Women personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) will enthral the audience with their motorcycle act. “It’s for the first time a motorcycle display by women personnel of the BSF will be part of the Republic Day Parade,” Major General Rajpal Punia told reporters. A camel contingent of the BSF and columns of the 61st cavalry with 51 horses will be part of the parade. For the first time, a tableau of All India Radio will be leading a series of 23 tableaux during the R-Day Parade and will feature Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly address ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Of the 23 tableaux in the parade, 14 would be representing different states and Union Territories. The rest would be of ministries and departments of Government of India. An Income Tax Department tableau about special anti-black money drive launched post-demonetization is on the list of many firsts. The Navy will showcase Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Vikrant, which will be commissioned in 2020 and the Defence Development and Research Organization will exhibit the ‘Nirbhay’ missile and the Ashwini radar system. On behalf of the central government, around 61 tribal guests from various parts of the country have been invited to witness the Republic Day celebrations.