Firstpost Editor's Picks: R-Day parade, Bharat Ratna for Pranab Mukherjee, Rohit Shetty's Simmba; today's must-read stories

Republic Day Parade: Tanks and artillery are passe, 26 Jan celebrations require renewed focus on power of people The parade is stodgy. It is not fun and today’s younger generation is not reflected as the stimulating, imaginative, creative incredible entity that it is. Give the armed forces a day of their own by harnessing the power of our media platforms. Let 26 January be a peoples’ affair, purely civilian in nature, joyous, noisy, colourful and fun. **Modi govt subtly jabs Congress with Bharat Ratna for Pranab Mukherjee, seeks to gain ground in West Bengal** The award to Pranab Mukherjee by the Narendra Modi government is intended to deliver several messages at once: showcase BJP’s fairness in recognising a Congress leader as opposed to Congress’ petty-mindedness in not being able to breach the ideological divide in honouring someone such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and expose the Congress’ internal fault lines. India vs New Zealand: Virat Kohli and Co play close to perfect game, but still have room for improvement The deployment and display of arsenal at team India’s disposal was in keeping with the show of military might that the country unfurled at Rajpath in New Delhi on Republic Day. Each one charged with furthering India’s cause did his bit and propelled the team to a huge victory over the home side, rated among the best in limited-over internationals. Benyamin on writing about migrant workers, and his belief in Kerala's return to progressive politics The novelist-short story writer will be at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival this year, to discuss Jasmine Days, which won the inaugural JCB Prize, as well a 2019 Crossword Book Award in the translation category. In this interview, Benyamin speaks about writing as an exercise in pleasure, and how the ’lost’ progressiveness of Kerala can be regained. **Rohit Shetty's _Simmba_ a throwback to Hindi films' depiction of rape as 'entertainment'** This insensitivity of filmmakers looking to make a “hit film” by including rape in their narratives is clearly not yet a thing of the past. What’s particularly disheartening about a film like Simmba is that it is trying to ride on the back of a social issue, while actively reinforcing stereotypes about women.