Republic Day
Indian Republic Day – Rehearsal
For the first time in the history of India, a foreign team of soldiers, from France, will march at the Indian Republic Day.
On the 67th Republic Day parade in India, along with the Indian soldiers, 130 French soldiers will also march in the national capital, under the eyes of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande, guest of honour of the celebration.
The march is a part of the ‘Shakti 2016’ exercise between India and France, which is a joint counter-terrorism exercise. The exercise begun in Rajasthan on the 8th of January, where the flags of both the countries were fluttered and the national anthems were also played. 56 personnel of France’s 35th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Armoured Brigade arrived in the country to participate in the exercise.
The programme will run for 8 days and is aimed at providing joint training sessions to the Indian and the French army to train them to fight against mutiny and terrorism under the United Nations Mandate. This exercise will provide an opportunity for both the armies to know each other better and learn from each other’s experiences. Shakti 2016 will target at improving the physical strength, defensive techniques and the drilling of the soldiers.
By 16th January, the rest of French soldiers will arrive in India to take part in the Republic Day parade.
