‘R-Day parade must go on’

Traffic jams and chaos are a small price to pay for an event which is a ‘symbol of national pride’ and ‘celebrates our glorio...

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Traffic jams and chaos are a small price to pay for an event which is a ‘symbol of national pride’ and ‘celebrates our glorious past’, say The Indian Express readers.

• Shekhar Gupta’s article, ‘‘The blockade of Delhi’’, is certainly not in the ‘‘National Interest’’ of most Indians who respect their Armed Forces. Every year, the Republic Day parade must continue to be held on Rajpath, near the flame that burns eternally for those who have died in past wars. This way, the average Indian will be reminded that it is the Armed Forces who have saved the country time and again, not the pompous bureaucracy or the tainted politicians. The parade symbolises the might and majesty of the Republic, it cannot be relegated to some unknown area hidden from public gaze. It is not a tamasha but a moment of glory for every jawan, otherwise neglected for the rest of the year.

About barricading the India Gate lawns months ahead of the parade, the Ministry of Defence and the countless government intelligence agencies should be questioned, not the Army. Moreover, the parade cannot be treated as an Armed Forces show or a tri-services day. It is a symbol of the nation’s pride. For the same reason, it cannot be held on December 16 to commemorate Pakistan’s surrender. Even diplomatically, that would be a wrong move as India cannot afford to be Pak-centric forever.
— Maj Gen Himmat Singh Gill (Retd)

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• As a 14-year-old girl living in the Capital, I totally disagree with your article. I understand that adults find such traffic blockades a nuisance but it is a small price to pay for celebrating our country’s glorious past. And as we honour those who have laid down their lives for the country, we should be a little more sporting about getting late for meetings. The Republic Day parade is a tradition that has been followed for so many decades. Why change it now just to ape the West? And how can we even think of scheduling it on another day, given the significance of January 26 in our history.

As for the months of practice that goes into the parade, let me point out that our soldiers don’t need to practice for war as that is what they are trained to do all their lives. But they do need to practice for parades as that is outside their job definition.
— Vasundhara Sharma

• The Republic Day parade is a ceremony that we have adopted. Why should we discard this for some other system followed by western countries. Tomorrow, one may suggest that we shouldn’t celebrate Diwali as the West doesn’t. Besides, it’s not just a military parade. The states put up their tableaus, as do school-children. A better line of argument would be how to make the parade more business-like and how to ensure public participation.
— Piyush Gupta

• Yes, the Republic Day parade, like most of our institutionalised ceremonies, is being mismanaged and causes a lot of nuisance to the public. But so do festivals like Diwali, Holi and Muharram. None of the ‘‘great democracies’’ that you mention boast of a history or culture of festivity. The Republic Day function is not just to showcase the might of our defence establishments, it is to rejoice over our free republic. It is one of our many festivals — one which reminds our younger generation about our nation’s glorious history.
— Raj M.K.

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• On the one hand, there is something disturbing about such self-congratulatory celebrations; but on the other, there is something to be said for circuses. But a less elaborate function which would take just one week to prepare would suffice.
— S. Sen

• For a country of many varied cultures and religions, January 26 is the day when we all sit and appreciate the togetherness that binds this nation. There is no event that symbolises it more, not even Independence Day. This day is looked forward to with pride and eagerness, especially by children, in every corner of the country. The origin of military parades may have been in the Communist world but we, in India, have imbibed the best of all the worlds. And the Republic Day is a glorious example — a mix of military parades with cultural tableaus.
— Hemant Jaswal

• Your suggestions make a lot of sense, especially when we are so cash-strapped.
— Indraneel Kanaglekar

• The article should have extended to the siege taking place at the national level, where main roads are blocked at the drop of a hat. Yes, a combined Armed Forces parade would reflect more cohesiveness now that the proposal for a CDS is in cold storage. To avoid inconvenience, there could be two rehearsals in some sports stadium, followed by a dry run on Rajpath at night.
— Air Cmde Raghubir Singh (Retd)

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• The solution to problems like traffic jams does not lie in ending a tradition but in managing it properly. There is no need for us to draw inspiration from the United States, Britain and Japan on every issue. The Republic Day parade provides immense pride to all citizens. As for professional event management companies running the show, which Indian company worth its salt can manage such a big event. Don’t we have traffic jams and chaos during cricket matches, fashion shows and diwali melas?
— Sidharth Bhargava