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Sidelights from Rajpath

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Kargil, quite understandably, was the predominant theme at the Republic Day parade today. Two contingents of the army -- the Ladakh Scouts and the Grenadiers -- were led by heroes of the Kargil war. The Ladakh Scouts were led by Major Sonam Wangchuk, who headed a heroic takeover of a ridgeline in Chorbatla during Kargil conflict, while the Grenadiers were led by Captain Balwan Singh, another Maha Vir Chakra winner, who commanded a company during the Tiger Hill takeover. That operation won Lt Singh an MVC, while one of his soldiers, Yogendra Singh Yadav won the Param Vir Chakra. The army and the Delhi government tableaux too were on Kargil, while Jammu and Kashmir presented a 'spirit of Kargil' tableau. Saviour Convent School students presented a tribute to those who laid down their lives in Kargil, while the tableau of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police was yet another take off on the Kargil conflict, though they called it 'Man-Mountain'.
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The parade was a family affair for some. Major General Surinder Kumar Awasthy, general officer commanding of the Delhi area, led the parade for the third consecutive year. Following him a few contingents behind was his son Major Arun Awasthy, leading the Punjab Regiment contingent. The Dogra Regiment's contingent was commanded by Lieutenant Ritesh Katoch, a fourth-generation soldier. His grandfather was a member of the British Army and had won a gallantry award during the world war.
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The presence of the Main Battle Tank Arjun among the exhibits was a bit difficult to understand. The MBT has failed to achieve operational standards and is on the verge of being dumped for the advanced Russian-made T-90s. Similarly, though the commentators claimed that the multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaca would soon be acquired by the army, there are several hindrances in its induction. What puzzled most, however, was that absence of MiG-21s. Doubt remains if MIG-21s were not flown due to their high accident rates.
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The Indian Republic had never looked under so much threat as it appeared today. The grand parade at the Rajpath was marked distinctly by a security overkill and a pronounced celebration of India's victory in Kargil. Thousands of policemen lined up to check every visitor to the venue. The lower-level police personnel at the gates frisked people in their own rude fashion. One constable posted outside Gate number 23, through which journalists entered their enclosures, refused to let anyone inside with two pens. His logic was that two pens constituted a security threat. At another checking point, security personnel insisted that a computer floppy could not be carried inside. The parade, however, went off peacefully, ending with a splendid display by a Sukhoi-30 fighter.

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