New Delhi: In a first, nine women Agniveer will be part of the Indian Air Force’s band contingent that will march down the Kartavya Path during the 77th Republic Day Parade playing music, according to officials.
At a briefing held here, the IAF also announced that Flt Lt Akshita Dhankar will unfurl the national flag alongside President Droupadi Murmu at the ceremonial parade on January 26.
The IAF band, led by Sergeant Charles Antony Daniel, will complement the 144-member marching contingent of the air force, which will be led by Sqn Ldr Jagdesh Kumar.
Sqn Ld Nikita Choudhary, Flt Lt Prakhar Chandrakar and Flt Lt Dinesh Murali will be serving as supernumerary officers in the IAF contingent.
A total of 29 aircraft — 16 fighter aircraft, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters will be part of the two-phase flypast at the parade, with a total of eight formations, a senior official of the IAF said.
The official said the first phase will be alongside the parade with four formations and the remaining four formations after the end of the parade, including a special spearhead formation during the parade to mark “the success of Operation Sindoor” conducted in May last year.
Air Commodore Imran H Zaidi, from the Directorate of Ceremonial at Air Headquarters, said the 75-member IAF band will consist of 66 Agniveer and the rest will be air warriors.
The 66 Agniveer will include nine women Agniveer, and this will be the first time they will be part of the IAF band in the parade, he said.
Sqn Ldr Kumar, 33, said, “It is my first time in a Republic Day Parade, and I feel extremely proud to represent my Service on the Kartavya Path.”
A native of Tamil Nadu, whose father is a retired state government official and mother a school teacher, he shared the challenges of practising in the biting cold of Delhi in December and January. He is the first person in his family to join the armed forces.
“We arrive at around 4 am for practice, and then put in 7-8 hours to make sure we give our best and all members of the contingent are working in tandem,” Sqn Ldr Kumar told PTI.
Sqn Ld Choudhary, also in the 30s, and one of the three supernumerary officers in the contingent, is also taking part in the ceremonial parade for the first time.
“I work in the fighter controller branch. And, if we have a critical role in a combat scenario, it is wonderful to be part of the IAF contingent,” she told PTI.
Flt Lt Murali said cold is a challenge but it is a boost to know you have been chosen for this responsibility that carries so much honour,” he said.
The IAF band will play several tunes, including ‘Nidar Yodha’ and ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’, before reaching the Saluting Dias. It will perform ‘Sound Barrier’ in front of the dais, and after moving past it, the
‘Ladakoo’ tune.
Agniveer Surabhi Sharma, 19, who hails from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, is excited to be part of the band.
“I also play the saxophone and it is a singular honour for me to be part of this iconic parade that is the pride of India,” she told PTI.
The sesquicentenary of ‘Vande Mataram’ is the dominant theme of the parade this year.
