India celebrated the Indian Army day today honoring its bravehearts who sacrifice their lives for the nation. The historic event was marked by Army day parade that was conducted this year in Pune, instead of Delhi. Army day parade is a significant event in India’s military calendar. As historic is the day, there were also some historic firsts today.
The 77th Army day parade was hosted by the Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) and Center, Pune (Maharashtra) which comes under the Southern command. With some powerful weapons and state-of-the-art platforms, the event showcased India’s military strength. It featured the Nepal Army band, the all- female marching team of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) which is an all-female Agniveer contingent and a set of “robotic mules”.
This year’s Army day theme was “Samarth Bharat, Saksham Sena” with an aim of showing the capabilities of the Indian Army and its contributions in making the country a powerful force. Out of the 52 prestigious honors and awards presented during the event, General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army staff (COAS) presented the Sena medal (gallantry award) at the ceremony.
Indian Army Day is celebrated to commemorate this day, i.e. January 15 that dates back in 1949. Lieutenant General M. Kariappa became the first Indian commander-in-chief on 15th January 1949 taking over British General Francis Roy Bucher.
Key events at the 77th Army Parade
For the very first time, 12 robotic mules marched over accompanied by their handlers at the parade. A display of platforms at the Army day parade include the K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer, BMP-2 Sarath infantry combat vehicle, Sarvatra bridging system, T-90 tanks, Swathi weapon locating radar, ATOR N1200 All- terrain vehicle, multi-barrel rocket system, drone jammer systems and mobile communication nodes. Among the marching contingents, the Maratha Light infantry regiment, Madras Regiment, Regiment of Artillery group, Mechanized infantry, Bombay Engineer Group, Army service corps, Army ordnance corps and other units participated in the parade. One of the major highlights was the performance of the joint band of the Indian Army and Nepal Army in the parade.
Since 1949, the event is always held in the National capital. The tradition was broken in 2023, when it was staged in Bengaluru under the Southern command area. Followed with this year in Pune.
Here is what the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) had to say on the occasion of 77th Army day parade, “Today, our country is standing on the threshold of a new era and is progressing smoothly towards the goal of a developed India. For our country to move ahead on the path of progress and development, a stable and secure environment is necessary, in which the Indian Army plays an important role.” Citing confidence, he said that they would keep on the “path of progress to make the Indian Army a Modern, Agile, Adaptable, Technology enabled and Future-ready force.” He further said that the Northern border’s situation is stable, at the same time sensitive. The Indian Army is fully prepared and capable to handle any circumstance.
However, the particular focus will be on building critical infrastructure and up to date machinery at the Northern borders. The COAS also said, “Ceasefire remains in place on the Line of control of the western borders, but infiltration attempts continue. In the interior areas of Jammu & Kashmir, as a result of the continuous efforts of the security forces, violence has reduced significantly. The peaceful completion of Parliament, Assembly elections, and Amarnath Yatra last year reflects the improvement in the security situation.”
Pune was chosen to organize the Army day celebrations this year for a good variety of reasons, owing to the city’s rich military history and legacy. Institutions like the Southern Command headquarters and the National Defense Academy (NDA) are also located here. Being a part of the Maratha empire, the city has been a hub of military operations, training and strategy.