Priya Aditi
The Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighter jets and tri-services marching contingents participated in the imposing French parade in Paris on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended as the parade’s guest of honour. India and France are currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
Three IAF Rafales participated in the spectacular multi-aircraft fly past over the iconic Paris landmark, Champs-Elysees, which set the stage for scores of military contingents to march down the boulevard, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries watching from a stage facing the war memorial Arc de Triomphe.
The parade was conducted by the Punjab Regiment contingent of the Indian Army, followed by the Rajputana Rifles Regiment military band, the Indian Navy contingent, and the Indian Air Force contingent. 242 Indian military personnel were included in the marching contingents. Afterwards, French marching troops and mechanised columns arrived.
“Every Indian would be proud to see this,” Modi wrote on Twitter, captioning a video of the Indian contingents marching down Champs-Elysees to the melody of Saare Jahan Se Acha played by the army band.
The IAF’s Rafales and the tri-services contingents have been practising for the Bastille Day spectacle in France for the past week. In 2009, when then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the honoured guest at the parade, Indian military contingents also lead the procession.
Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, a helicopter pilot who led the 144-member IAF contingent at this year’s Republic Day procession in New Delhi, commanded the 68-member IAF contingent participating in the parade.
The Indian participation in the procession occurred seven years after a French army contingent first participated in the Republic Day parade in 2016, when then-President Francois Hollande was the chief guest at India’s largest ceremonial event in Delhi.
Participating in the Bastille Day parade was particularly meaningful for the contingent from the Punjab Regiment, whose soldiers had fought alongside French forces in both world wars.
“Punjab regiment soldiers participated in both World Wars and post-independence operations. They were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours during World War I. The courageous soldiers engaged in combat in Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine, Egypt, China, Hong Kong, Damascus, and France. In September 1915, they participated in an offensive near Neuve Chapelle in France, obtaining the Battle Honours ‘Loos’ and ‘France and Flanders. “During World War II, they were awarded 16 Battle Honours and 14 Theatre Honours,” the army stated in a statement prior to last week’s parade.
INS Chennai, an indigenously designed and constructed guided missile destroyer, has been sent to France from July 12 to July 16 to commemorate the occasion.
Also read this:Modi’s France visit to deepen India’s ties with Europe
After participating in a multinational exercise in France three months ago, the IAF’s Rafales have returned to France. Exercise Orion, conducted at the Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France from April 17 to May 5, involved the air forces of the host nation, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain.
