The 75th Army Day Parade scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on January 15 – the first outside of Delhi – will feature a static display of weapon systems, eight marching contingents, and a fly-past.
The parade will commence with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) War Memorial by the Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, to pay homage to Army personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Major General Ravi Murugan, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Karnataka and Kerala Sub-area, told reporters on Tuesday that the Chief of the Army Staff would then review the parade at the MEG and Centre, Bengaluru Parade Ground, and give away gallantry awards for individual acts of bravery and sacrifice.
He said Bengaluru is an apt choice to be the first venue as the parade moved out of the national capital because the Army Day is observed to commemorate General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa – a Karnataka native – taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief.
“People in Bengaluru have shown great interest in these events. Though we did not extensively advertise about the pre-event displays of the parade, about 11,000 civilians watched them over four days,” the GOC said.
The shift in venue is part of the Union government’s initiative to take major events to different parts of the country, ensuring greater visibility and larger public involvement, he said.
Weapon systems on display
Apart from the fly-past of Army Aviation Dhruv and Rudra helicopters, several weapon systems will also be showcased. The GOC said K9 Vajra self-propelled guns, Pinaka rockets, T-90 tanks, BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Tunguska Air Defence System, 155 mm Bofors Guns, light strike vehicles, Swathi Radar and assault bridges will be displayed.
Among the eight marching contingents are the Regiment of Artillery, Madras Engineer Group, Bombay Engineer Group, Parachute Regiment, Madras Regiment, and Mahar Regiment, each of them comprising 60 personnel. A horse-mounted contingent from the Army Service Corps and a military band comprising five regimental brass bands will be part of the parade.
A high tea will be organised to honour the awardees on January 14, with Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot as the chief guest. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the chief guest at a military performance scheduled in the evening on the day of the parade.