New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, an Indian tri-services contingent on Thursday left for Paris to be part of the Bastille Day parade next week.
A 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces will march along with their French counterparts at the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 14. Rafale fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will also be a part of the flypast during the parade.
PM Modi has been invited as the guest of honor at the Bastille Day parade.
Bastille Day marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution.
India and France are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their strategic partnership this year. The armies of both the countries are participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s defense imports from France have increased in the last few years. Between 2018 and 2022, thirty percent of India’s defense imports came from France. sipri report Said.
Representation of the Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Army contingent comprises 77 marching personnel and 38 band members, led by Captain Aman Jagtap. The Navy and Air Force contingents are being led by Commander Vrat Baghel and Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy.
The army contingent is represented by the Punjab Regiment, one of the oldest regiments of the Indian Army. The soldiers participated in both the World Wars as well as in the post-independence campaigns.
The Rajputana Rifles Regiment Band has also accompanied the team. The regiment, the senior most rifle regiment of the Indian Army, has taken part in some of the bloodiest battles ever fought – including the two world wars.
During World War II, battalions of the regiment fought in every theater where the Indian Army was involved. He is the recipient of six Victoria Crosses before independence. The band of the regiment was established in 1920 at Nasirabad (Rajasthan).
military ties that go back years
The relationship between the Indian and French armies dates back to the First World War. More than 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war, and about 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches and never returned, while another 67,000 were wounded.
“Indian soldiers fought valiantly on French soil. Their courage, valor and supreme sacrifice not only thwarted the enemy but also contributed significantly to winning the war,” the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement.
In World War II, 2.5 million Indian soldiers made significant contributions in various theaters from Asia to Africa and Europe. It also included the battlefields of France. The Ministry of Defense stated that Indian soldiers established their gallantry in these battles, which was “well recognized in the form of numerous gallantry awards awarded to Indian soldiers”.
(Edited by Tony Rae)
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