NEW DELHI : For the first time, Government has decided to cut down marching contingents of some of the paramilitary forces and Delhi Police at Republic Day parade next month.
According to a circular sent to various paramilitary force headquarters by Defence Ministry, only a marching contingent each of BSF, which guards Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla borders, Assam Rifles, guarding Indo-Myanmar border and RPF, which takes care of Indian Railways, will be participating.
CRPF, world’s largest paramilitary force which is assigned duties of internal security, has been asked to send an all-female marching contingent and its band for this year’s Republic Day parade in which French President Francois Hollande will be the Chief Guest.
Marching contingents of ITBP, which was formed after the Sino-India conflict of 1962 and guards the Indian border from the icy heights of Ladakh to dense jungles of Arunachal Pradesh, SSB, which guards Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan border, CISF, force guarding important installations of premises of the country, will not be participating in this year’s event, according to a communique issued by the Defence Ministry to these force headquarters.
Senior officials who are involved in the exercise expressed their shock and dismay over the exclusion of these prominent forces from the parade.
“The January 26 parade is an event of national honour and every force has its own identity. The exclusion has come as a surprise,” they said.
Delhi Police, which has walked away five times with the best Marching Contingent among the para-military forces, has also been asked not to send its squad for this year’s Republic Day.
Since the Best Marching Contingent award was announced in 1991, ITBP has won it five times, CISF and CRPF have won it three times each.
In another development, bands of ITBP, BSF and Delhi Police may be included in next year’s Beating Retreat Ceremony.
A meeting to this effect was held on November 27 and a final decision may be taken later whether these bands will form as contingent of the Beating Retreat or not.
If these bands will be included, it will be for the first time that paramilitary force bands will be part of the Beating Retreat contingent which has other ways only comprised bands of three defence forces. (PTI)
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