New Delhi: India’s 78th Independence Day, a significant milestone in the nation’s history, is being celebrated on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading from Delhi’s iconic Red Fort.
For the eleventh year in a row, the Prime Minister led this national holiday by raising the national flag, followed by the traditional speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
This year’s celebration, themed ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047,’ is a testament to India’s commitment to progress and its objective of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Senior military and government leaders greeted Prime Minister Modi at the start of the ceremony. The Indian Navy coordinated this year’s Guard of Honour inspection.
As the Prime Minister raised the national flag the 1721 Field Battery fired a 21-gun salute with its native 105mm Light Field Guns, marking a momentous occasion.
This year’s celebration is a testament to India’s diverse and inclusive society. Some 6,000 distinguished guests representing a cross-section of Indian society, including women, farmers, youth, tribal communities, and recipients of various government programmes, attended the event.
Heightened security, sealed Delhi borders
Security was significantly heightened before the festivities, especially in Delhi, where a robust force of 3,000 traffic police officers and over 10,000 police officers have been stationed to ensure a safe and secure event.
The nation’s capital is constantly under observation, with 700 AI-powered facial recognition cameras strategically placed in high-traffic areas.
The Prime Minister and other VVIP guests are protected by increased security procedures, which include high-resolution pan-tilt-zoom cameras.
In addition to the heavy police presence, snipers, elite SWAT commandos, and sharpshooters have been stationed at key areas.
On August 14, after 11:30 p.m., the city’s borders with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana were sealed, preventing commercial heavy vehicles from entering the city and guaranteeing that every vehicle driving into the capital was thoroughly inspected.
Yesterday, Delhi Traffic Police advised route closures and diversions in the Red Fort area. Drones and other non-traditional aerial platforms for aerial photography were limited until the completion of the Independence Day celebrations.
In several regions of the nation, there has also been increased security.
Police have increased their presence in the areas surrounding state-level celebration sites in Punjab and Haryana. Flag marches and special search operations were carried out throughout Punjab, especially in sensitive locations like Pathankot. The police asked the public to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has also increased its surveillance along the international border with Bangladesh in an effort to thwart any possible threats.
13 Chhattisgarh districts unfurl the Flag for the first time
In the meantime, Independence Day is especially significant in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Bastar district, where 13 isolated villages hoisted the national flag for the first time. The construction of security camps in these communities has made the secure celebration of the national festival in places historically dominated by radical left-wing ideology possible.
Attendees and participants at the Red Fort
Attendees include students from the Atal Innovation Mission and PM SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) programmes, as well as volunteers from the National Service Scheme under the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ and Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) programmes.
The Indian delegation that competed in the just-concluded Olympics in Paris was invited to join in the festivities. Employees of Border Roads Organisation, children from the PRERANA School programme, sarpanches of Gram Panchayats that achieved saturation in priority sector schemes, and one visitor from each block of the Aspirational Blocks Programme were present at the event.
Around 2,000 people from different States and Union Territories, all dressed traditionally, have been invited to attend the major ceremony. The event included 3,000 winners of various online competitions organised by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with MyGov and Akashvani.
Sequence of events
Defense Secretary Giridhar Aramane, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth, and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh greeted the Prime Minister at the Red Fort. The Defence Secretary introduced the Prime Minister to Delhi Area Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, the General Officer Commanding (GoC). Next, PM Modi was escorted by the GoC, Delhi Area, to the Saluting Base, where he was given a general salute by a joint Delhi Police Guard and Inter-Services contingent. The Prime Minister then examined the Guard of Honour.
The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister consisted of one officer & 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Delhi Police. The Indian Navy coordinated service this year. Commander Arun Kumar Mehta commanded the Guard of Honour. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard was under the command of Major Arjun Singh, the Naval contingent was led by Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal. Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi commanded the Delhi Police contingent.
The Prime Minister was greeted by Rajnath Singh, Sanjay Seth, General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari as he made his way to the Red Fort’s ramparts after examining the Guard of Honour. The GoC, Delhi area, escorted the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to unveil the national flag.
The Prime Minister, assisted by Lieutenant Sanjeet Saini, hoisted the national flag. The heroic gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial) timed it to coincide with the 21 Gun Salute. Major Sabnis Kaushik commanded the ceremonial battery, which used the local 105mm Light Field Guns. Naib Subedar (AIG) Anuthosh Sarkar served as the gun position officer.
When the Prime Minister unfurled the national flag, the National Flag Guard—which consists of 128 Delhi Police officers, 32 Other Ranks from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and one officer—offered the Rashtriya Salute. This Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard was under the command of Commander Vinay Dubey.
Major Dinesh Ngangom led the Army contingent in the National Flag Guard, Lieutenant Commander Sachin Dhankhar led the Navy contingent, and Squadron Leader CS Shravan Devaiah led the Air Force contingent. Additional DCP Achin Garg was in charge of the Delhi Police contingent.
The Tricolour was given a “Rashtriya Salute” after it was unfurled. While raising the national flag, the Punjab Regiment Military Band—consisting of one JCO and twenty-five other ranks—played the national anthem and performed the “Rashtriya Salute.” Subedar Major Rajinder Singh was in charge of leading the band.
Two Indian Air Force Advanced Light Helicopters in the Line Astern Formation, Dhruv, rained flower petals on the site as soon as the Prime Minister unfolded the National Flag. Wing Commander Rahul Nainwal and Wing Commander Amber Agarwal flew the helicopters as commanders.
Following the showering of petals, the Prime Minister addressed the nation. Once the PM finished his speech, the National Cadet Corps cadets sang the National Anthem. Two thousand boy and girl cadets from various schools around the nation (Army, Navy, and Air Force) took part in the festivities. These cadets were seated across the Rampart on Gyanpath. They formed personalised tricolour kits to form the “My Bhaart” logo. There were also 500 National Service Scheme Volunteers involved in the event.
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–IANS
