ITBP, SSB, BSF to return to Republic Day parade after 2 years

Contingents of the three border guarding forces of the country--the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and the Border Security Force -- will march down Rajpath on January 26, two years after they were taken out from the Republic Day celebrations.

While the ITBP and SSB contingents will be part of the parade after two years, the Border Security Force squad will return to the event after one year’s gap.

As part of a new rotation policy of paramilitary forces’ squads at the Republic Day parade, the contingents of two other forces -- the Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force -- have been taken out of the event this time, officials said.

“This is a new policy formulated by the ministry of defence for the Central Armed Police Forces contingents taking part in the Republic Day parade. The defence ministry is the organiser of the annual event.

“The paramilitary forces’ headquarters have asked the home ministry to get this arrangement reviewed, but nothing concrete has taken place till now,” a senior official privy to the development said.

This was the reason the border guarding forces of ITBP, SSB and BSF could not take part in the event in the recent past, he said.

The BSF this time, amongst the CAPFs, will have the largest presence amongst the forces with its famed camel contingent, camel-mounted band team, marching squad of troops along with band and the bike-borne ‘Janbaaz’ (daredevils) team.

The ITBP and the SSB will have their foot and band contingents marching down the citadel of power at Raisina Hills to the 17th century-built monument ‘Red Fort’ on January 26 this year.

These five CAPFs function under the command of the ministry of home affairs, and are tasked with various duties in the internal security domain.

While the CRPF is the lead anti-Naxal operation force of the country, the CISF is tasked to guard civil airports and strategic installations in the nuclear and aerospace domain apart from others.

Image: ITBP personnel practise ahead of the Republic Day parade. The ITBP will return to the parade after two years. Photograph: PTI Photo