Woman power breaches fog, glass ceiling

Woman power breaches fog, glass ceiling

NEW DELHI: Four Mi-17 helicopters sliced through the fog above Kartavya Path in the ‘spearhead’ formation and a cascade of rose petals showered down on the crowd below, igniting patriotic fervour on the 75th Republic Day on Friday.

The theme of Nari Shakti reverberated loudly on the boulevard as women took the lead in contingents, tableaus and performances. The tri-service marching contingent, representing the Army, Navy and Air Force, plus the Delhi Police team all consisted entirely of women. And stealing the spotlight with their gravity-defying stunts were 265 fearless women astride motorcycles.

The celebrations marking the transition to the Indian Constitution in 1950 commenced at the National War Memorial, where PM Narendra Modi led the nation in paying homage to the martyrs. Then President Droupadi Murmu was escorted to the parade site by her Angrakshaks, the President’s Bodyguard, on their magnificent bay and dark bay mounts. She arrived with the chief guest, French President Emmanuel Macron, in an elegant buggy, a tradition resuming after 40 years.

Then, a 112-strong ensemble of women heralded the parade down the historical avenue, where around 77,000 people had gathered, 42,000 of them the general public. During the Aavhan, the women artiste’s dhol and tasha beats perfectly harmonised with the wail of the conch shells.

Following them were the combined band the marchers of the French Armed Forces, with their distinctive white and black kepi hats, a nod to the strong bilateral ties between India and France.

The sophisticated mechanised columns of the military hardware drew loud cheers as they followed on the heels of the 61st Cavalry Regiment. From the “Hunter Killer Concept” of the T-90 tanks to the Nag missile carrier and swanky all-terrain vehicles among many others, India showed off its defence technology. Women officers also displayed the Swathi weapon-locating radar and Pinaka rocket system, emp hasising the diversity of roles women have in the armed forces.

Finally, 26 tableaus, awaited expectantly by the audience, rolled in. Created by the states and Union territories, along with nine central ministries and departments, these, keeping to the theme, depicted women’s roles in the country’s socio-economic activities.

The Manipur tableau had women spinning delicate fibres from lotus stems into yarns on traditional charkhas, a tradition of centuries-old female entrepreneurship. Odisha burst forth in vibrant red and yellow hues, showcasing the contributions of women in handicrafts and handloom.

Chhattisgarh’s spectacle echoed the dominance of women in the tribal communities of Bastar, while Madhya Pradesh celebrated women’s seamless integration in the state’s development through innovative welfare schemes. Rajasthan’s Ghoomar dance captured the desert state’s culture and Meghalaya painted a dreamy springtime tableau, adding a whimsical touch to women’s myriad roles and achievements.

Women, of course, given the theme, were in the forefront on Friday. Captain Sandhya Mahla led the tri-service contingent alongside sub-lieutenant Anshu Yadav of the Army, flight lieutenant Shrishti Khullar of the Air Force and captain Sha ranya Rao of the Navy, forming a formidable team from the three defence services. Eye surgeon and paratrooper major Srishti Khulla was in charge of the Armed Forces Medical Services marching contingent.

The contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces, Border Security Force and the Indian Coast Guard also comprised women personnel. While an all-male contingent of the Bombay Sappers was back on Kartavya Path after two decades, it was led by woman officer, major Divya Tyagi.

The showstopper was the display of bravado by women daredevil riders, with 265 of them effortlessly gliding through the air on their roaring Bullets in intricate formations like Chandrayaan, Sarvatra Suraksha, Abhivadan and Yog Se Siddhi.

The spectators were elated. Research scholar Dimpy Sonowal, 36, said, “The best part for me was being able to see women bikers doing almost unbelievable stunts on the motorbikes. When it comes to bikes, people imagine only men performing stunts on them. Today’s display by the women left many speechless and underlined that women can stand shoulder to shoulder with men.”

The culmination of the parade was the flypast. Not even the foggy sky dampened the spirits when 54 aircraft from the Indian Armed Forces and French air and space forces did stunning acrobatics turns and twists before flying off into the horizon, leaving behind only tricolour balloons to remind of the platinum Republic Day.

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