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France’s President Emmanuel Macron will be India’s chief guest for its 2024 Republic Day celebrations, the Elysee French presidential palace said on Friday (December 22).
The Ministry of External Affairs also confirmed the same in a statement saying: “At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be visiting India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations.”
Here is a look at how India’s Republic Day chief guest is chosen, why it is an honour to be invited as the chief guest, and what is the significance of the invitation.
Being invited as the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations is the highest honour a country accords in terms of protocol. The chief guest is front and centre in many ceremonial activities which have over time become a part of the fabric of the event and the run-up to it.
They are given the ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan followed by a reception hosted by the President of India in the evening. They also lay a wreath at Rajghat, to honour Mahatma Gandhi. There is a banquet in their honour, a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister, and calls by the Vice-President and the External Affairs Minister.
Ambassador Manbir Singh, a former Indian Foreign Service officer who served as Chief of Protocol between 1999 and 2002, earlier told The Indian Express that the visit of the Chief Guest is full of symbolism — “it portrays the Chief Guest as participating in India’s pride and happiness, and reflects the friendship between the two peoples represented by the President of India and the Chief Guest”.
This symbolism serves as a powerful tool to forge and renew ties between India and the nation of its invitee, having greater political and diplomatic significance as well.
The process starts nearly six months in advance of the event. Ambassador Manbir Singh had said all kinds of considerations are taken into account by the MEA before extending the invitation.
The most central consideration is the nature of the relationship between India and the country concerned. Invitation to be the Chief Guest of the Republic Day parade is the ultimate sign of friendship between India and the country of the invitee. Political, commercial, military and economic interests of India are crucial drivers of the decision, with MEA seeking to use the occasion to strengthen ties with the country of the invitee in all these respects.
Another factor that has historically played a role in the choice of the Chief Guest is the association with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The NAM was an international political movement of newly decolonised nations to stay out of the squabbles of the Cold War and support each other in their nation-building journeys. The first Chief Guest of the parade in 1950 was President Sukarno of Indonesia, one of the five founding members of the NAM.
What happens after the MEA has zeroed in on its options?
After due consideration, the MEA seeks the approval of the PM and the President on the matter. After the MEA gets approval, Indian ambassadors in the concerned country try to discreetly ascertain the availability of the potential chief guest. This is crucial as it is not uncommon for heads of state to have packed schedules and unavoidable prior commitments. This is also a reason why the MEA doesn’t just choose one option but a list of potential candidates. Discretion is of utmost importance as no formal invitation has yet been made by India.
After a candidate is finalised, more official communication takes place between India and the invitee’s country. Territorial divisions in the MEA work towards meaningful talks and agreements. The Chief of Protocol works on the details of the programme and logistics. A detailed programme for the trip and the Republic Day ceremonies is shared by the Protocol Chief with his counterpart from the visiting nation.
The planning of the visit involves the Government of India, state governments which the foreign dignitary might visit, and the government of the concerned country.
Can things go wrong during the visit?
There is always the possibility of things not going to plan, something that the organisers have to prepare for beforehand. Health issues with the VIP can cause delays. Untimely rain can spoil a lot of things. Organisers prepare and rehearse contingencies for all kinds of situations so that on the big day, things go smoothly.
Writing for The Indian Express, Ambassador Singh recounted an incident where the aide-de-camp or ADC (a personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank) of the Republic Day chief guest attempted to accompany the chief guest for the inspection of the guard of honour. “But in our practice, only the commander of the Tri-Services Guard accompanies the visitor, and the insistent ADC had to be physically restrained by officials present at the spot.”
The big picture of the chief guest’s visit
Ambassador Singh pointed out that India is mindful that the media party accompanying the Guest would be reporting in their country on every aspect of the visit. To foster and further grow good relations, it is necessary that the guest’s nation perceives the visit as having been successful, and that their Head of State has been shown all courtesies and given due honour.
In the modern world, visual coverage is of great importance, and the programmes and protocol keep this in view, Ambassador Singh pointed out. He noted that the various chief guests and their Ambassadors in New Delhi have been profuse in their praise for India’s ceremonies and the protocol it accords. India’s hospitality reflects its traditions, culture, and history.
The chief guest of the Republic Day is a ceremonial honour presented to the head of state of a country but its significance rises beyond purely the ceremonial. Such a visit can open new possibilities and go a long way in furthering India’s interests in the world.
