Republic Day celebrations to begin from today to include Bose’s birth anniversary

NEW DELHI: From this year onwards, Republic Day celebrations will begin from January 23 instead of January 24 to include the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This is in line with the Narendra Modi government's focus on commemorating key aspects of India's history and culture, government officials told PTI noting it had earlier started celebrating Bose's birth anniversary as "Parakram Divas".

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“I bow to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his Jayanti. Every Indian is proud of his monumental contribution to our nation,” PM Modi tweeted.

सभी देशवासियों को पराक्रम दिवस की ढेरों शुभकामनाएं।

नेताजी सुभाष चंद्र बोस की 125वीं जयंती पर उन्हें मेरी आदरपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।

I bow to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his Jayanti. Every Indian is proud of his monumental contribution to our nation. pic.twitter.com/Ska0u301Nv

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 23, 2022

Around 24,000 people will be allowed to attend the Republic Day parade on January 26 this year given the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, sources in the defence establishment said on Saturday. In 2020, before the pandemic struck India, around 1.25 lakh people were permitted to attend the parade, said the PTI report.

Out of the 24,000 people who will be attending the parade this year, 19,000 would be invited and the rest would be the general public, who can purchase tickets, sources told PTI. All COVID-19 protocols will be followed at the parade. Social distancing norms would be followed while making the seating arrangements, they mentioned, adding sanitiser dispensers will be available everywhere and wearing masks would be compulsory.

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Last year's Republic Day parade took place amid the Covid pandemic and close to 25,000 people were allowed to attend it, sources mentioned. Like last year, this time too the parade may not have any foreign dignitary as the chief guest due to the pandemic, they said, adding India was planning to invite the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.

(With inputs from PTI)