Women to headline R-Day celebrations

For the first time, the Republic Day parade will be heralded by 100 women artistes playing Indian musical instruments instead of the traditional military bands, and the country's biggest ceremonial event will this year have the best representation of women including in the Indian Air Force flypast, marching contingents and the cultural show, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane said on fricontinued on day.

- Rahul Singh

NEW DELHI:  He said two Rafale fighters and an Airbus A330 MRTT (multi-role tanker transport) of the French air force, a 95-member marching contingent of that country as well as a 33-member band contingent will also participate in the 75th Republic Day parade, which is being attended by French President Emmanuel Macron as the chief guest.

Around 77,000 spectators will witness the parade at Kartavya Path. They will include 13,000 special guests invited from across the country to witness the parade to ensure "jan bhagidari" (public participation), the defence secretary said at a media briefing in South Block.

"The parade will commence with the music of shankh, naadswaram and nagada to be played by the women artistes. Earlier, the parade was heralded by military bands. Best representation of women will be seen in this year's parade including in the flypast and the marching contingents," Aramane said.

At a separate briefing on the Air Force's participation in the parade, IAF officials said that the Republic Day flypast will involve 56 military aircraft including 29 fighter jets some of which will be flown by women pilots.

Fifteen women pilots, including six fighter pilots, will take part in the flypast, HT has learnt. They will be flying Rafales, Sukhoi-30s and MiG-29s.