INDIA'S REPUBLIC DAY PARADE

1. Context

2. Military parades

• There is a historical link between strong displays of soldiers and weaponry and national pride.
• Accounts dating as far back as the Mesopotamian civilisation mention marching soldiers.
• Through the sacred Gate of Ishtar in Babylon, returning warrior kings would march into the city down a passage flanked by 60 giant lion statues on either side, with murals of the gods smiling upon them.
• In the heydey of the Roman Empire, victorious generals would lead a procession into the capital, surrounded by frenzied crowds on all sides.
• The reason being, through the grand show of force that an organised marching contingent of soldiers displayed, legacies of triumph and near-mystical power were forged in the minds of onlookers and beyond.
• As empires gave way to nation-states, the tone of the military parade continued to remain the same.
• With rising nationalism in Europe in the 19th century, military parades became national symbols that were supposed to capture the collective frenzy of a nation's inhabitants into feelings of nationalism. 

3. Prussian army 

• The Prussian army (With Prussia consisting largely of modern-day Germany) is said to have been the pioneer of modern military parades.
• From the notorious "goosestep", which would become a symbol of the Nazi army, too many of the popular formations seen today, can be traced back to Prussia.

4. A relic of India's colonial past

• During the British Raj, royal parades and processions were commonplace.
• They projected British power not only to Indians but to the rest of the world, especially to its competing European colonial powers.
• As India gained its independence, it continued with many erstwhile British traditions the parade being one of them.

• A military parade marked India's first Republic Day in 1950.
• At the time, the country's leaders wanted to commemorate the occasion as a day of national celebration.
• While the day marked India's new constitution officially coming into effect, leaders saw it as a day of victory for the Indian state and its people victory against colonial rule and the coming of a new, sovereign and strong republic.
• Thus the military parade was chosen as an integral part of Republic Day celebrations.

4.2. The parades keep getting grander

• The parade in 1950 was held in the Irwin Amphitheatre (presently known as the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium).

• In its new setting, the imagery of the parade was also different, replete with colonial symbols that were being reimagined as national images.
• From the erstwhile Viceroy's house to the memorial for British Indian soldiers that we know today as India Gate, over time, these colonial creations underwent a process of "Indianisation" as their colonial associations were systematically pushed out of the public consciousness and a new meaning were provided to them.

5. A symbol of unity in diversity

• Moreover, the Republic Day parade soon began to include many non-military elements as well.
• The iconic tableaux became an integral part of the event, not only adding colour to the stoic military tone of the parade but also becoming symbols of India's diverse culture.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, there were still significant tensions between India and many of its states, mainly due to linguistic differences and fears of cultural imposition.
• The tableaux showing various states were introduced as a way to celebrate India's differences while espousing a coherent national identity.
• For Indians, the parade is primarily a symbolic affair that reinforces their identity as part of a powerful republic.
• For many Indians, it is also an expression of their regional identities.
• Through a military parade held on a day of national significance, replete with nationalist imagery and commentary, these regional identities often then become absorbed in the larger ideas of Indian nationalism.

Image Source: Redifmail

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