At a time when several Opposition-ruled states complained that their tableaux were not selected for the Republic Day parade, even as the government insisted that the decision was taken by an expert committee and there is no political intervention, the tableaux of four of the five poll-bound states made it to Rajpath on Republic Day.
Tableaux, from as many as 12 states and Union Territories, highlighted dances, spirit of sportsmanship, biodiversity, the freedom struggle, religious destinations and development.
A total of 24 tableaux were a part of the Republic Day parade, which included a dozen from the states and UTs, nine from departments of the Union Government and three from the Armed Forces and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Navy's tableau was the first to come down on Rajpath on a frigid Wednesday morning and depicted two main themes. First, the 1946 naval uprising, which was a part of the freedom struggle, and against the terrible conditions of the Indian sailors who were a part of the British Indian Navy and the second on the “atmanirbharta” of the Navy, with a model of the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier, which will be commissioned later this year and named INS Vikrant.
The Air Force tableau paid homage to the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, with models of MiG 21, Gnat — both of which were used in the war — and the Light Combat Helicopters. DRDO showcased major weapon platforms developed by it,…
