Women win over crowds at India's Republic Day parade

NEW DELHI • Huge crowds gathered for India's Republic Day parade yesterday, with women taking centre stage at the pomp-filled spectacle of military might featuring army tanks, horses and camels.

For the first time, the riders performing daredevil stunts on motorbikes, to the delight of the crowds lining New Delhi's central Rajpath boulevard, were women.

Inspector Seema Nag saluted the VIPs as she led her fellow bikers, one precariously perched at the top of a ladder wedged behind her vehicle's handlebars, as others formed a human pyramid, drawing the loudest cheers from the spectators.

In front of the guest of honour, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, Captain Tania Shergill, a fourth-generation army officer, led an all-male Corps of Signals military communications contingent.

Mr Bolsonaro sat next to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who wore a saffron turban - and waved and clapped from behind a bulletproof glass.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong extended his warmest congratulations to Mr Modi, in a letter made public by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"India has and continues to take great strides forward under your leadership. Your efforts to transform India, with her immense size and complexity, should fill every Indian citizen with pride and hope for the future," wrote PM Lee.

PM Lee expressed happiness at the strength of bilateral relations, noting that high-level exchanges had been kept up, with ministerial visits across different portfolios.

"On the defence front, the establishment of the trilateral Singapore-India-Thailand maritime exercise in the Andaman Sea reflects our shared commitment and outlook on regional security."

PM Lee also said that people-to-people ties have deepened, with the second India-Singapore Hackathon in Chennai.

"Collectively, these point to a robust relationship, which we should build on. I wish you a festive day of celebrations, and many more years of success," he wrote.

Number of blasts reported yesterday in India's north-eastern state of Assam, with no casualties reported.

Jan 26 is the anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution in 1950.

Yesterday's two-hour showcase of military might and cultural diversity included everything from battle tanks and state-of-the-art weaponry to traditional dancers.

Scaled-down models of the Rafale aircraft were paraded by the air force, following the South Asian nation's purchase of 36 jets from France in 2016 in a multi-billion-dollar deal.

The mounted camels of the Border Security Force put in an early appearance, strutting across the avenue in brightly coloured caparisons.

Traditional dancers representing some of India's diverse regional cultures performed on elaborately decorated floats showcasing selected states.

The show ended with a Su-30 MKI fighter jet roaring through the sky in a "vertical Charlie" aerobatic manoeuvre.

The parade was held against a backdrop of nationwide demonstrations over a new citizenship law that critics say discriminates against minority Muslims who comprise 200 million of India's 1.3 billion-strong population.

There were also reports of four blasts in India's north-eastern state of Assam - a hotbed of protests - with no casualties reported, according to the police. Three blasts went off at three places in Dibrugarh district, about 424km north-east of Dispur, the capital city of Assam, and the fourth occurred in the adjacent Charaideo district, police said.

A 620km-long human chain was planned in southern Kerala state as a mark of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and a proposed National Register of Citizens.

The new law makes it easier for persecuted religious minorities from three neighbouring countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan - to obtain citizenship, but not if they are Muslim.

There have also been protests against Mr Bolsonaro's visit, with a small rally held last Friday in the western city of Mumbai, where demonstrators questioned the Brazilian leader's stand on climate change and his sexist comments against a female politician.

Last Saturday, the two nationalist leaders signed a slew of deals, including for defence and oil and gas, and promised to strengthen bilateral ties.

Last year, Brazil complained about India's subsidies for sugar exports to the World Trade Organisation, saying they would hurt free competition in the global market.

India is the largest cane sugar producer in the world, followed by Brazil, according to the International Sugar Organisation.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, XINHUA