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Continuing the policies of recent years that have been aimed at improving the availability of opportunities for women in the defence forces of India, the Union Ministry of Defence is planning to further increase the participation of women in next year’s Republic Day parade.
An office memorandum issued last month said the Republic Day Parade 2024 will have “only women participants” in contingents — marching and band — and tableaux, among performances during the parade at Kartavya Path. The memorandum has directed all participating ministries, departments, organisations and agencies to start preparing for this.
However, sources in the government said this would effectively mean having the maximum representation of women in the parade, given that certain marching contingents like that of the Army’s infantry cannot have women participants at present.
In the 2023 parade too, the theme of Nari Shakti or women’s power was front and centre. Here are some key milestones from recent years at the parades, which have seen many firsts for women officers.
With the overarching theme of the parade being ‘Nari Shakti’, the Navy’s tableau showcased a woman aircrew of Dornier aircraft flying overhead, highlighting the all-women crew of a surveillance sortie undertaken last year. An armed Police Battalion of women Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers was a new presence.
Both the Navy and the Indian Air Force contingents were led by women officers – Lt Cdr Disha Amrith and Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy respectively. Reddy is a Mi-17 helicopter pilot and Amrith is an observer with the Navy’s Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft. For the first time ever, the navy’s marching contingent consisted of three women and six Agniveers.
Another woman Army air defence officer, Lt Chetana Sharma, led the Akash missile system column.
In the parade, a team of “daredevils” or motorcycle riders from the Corps of Signals was co-led by a woman officer. Women were part of the Border Security Force’s camel contingent for the first time this year.
The country’s first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot Shivangi Singh was part of the Indian Air Force tableau at the Republic Day parade in 2022. She is only the second woman fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau.
Also, as a report in The Indian Express noted, of the women daredevils who performed stunts as part of the BSF contingent that year, 14 had been provided jobs on compassionate grounds after the death of their fathers or husbands.
Flight Lieutenant Bhawna Kanth became the first female fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau. Two years earlier, she had become the first woman fighter pilot of the IAF to qualify for combat missions by day. She is from the first batch of women fighter pilots and the second woman pilot to conduct a solo fight.
Tania Shergill led an all-men contingent in the Republic Day Parade that year as the first woman Parade Adjudicant. On Women’s Day that year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cited her example to express the view that no door in the forces should remain closed for women.
An all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles participated for the first time in 2019. Major Khushboo Kanwar led the showcase of the oldest paramilitary force in the country. “Leading an all-women contingent of the Assam Rifles was a matter of great honour and pride for me. We practiced very hard…I am a daughter of a bus conductor from Rajasthan and if I can accomplish this, then any girl can fulfil her dream,” she told PTI.
Capt Shikha Surabhi from the Corps of Signals performed bike stunts alongside her male teammates as part of the daredevils team.
The year saw an all-women bikers contingent of the Border Security Force participate. The 27-member BSF women daredevils performed their stunts and acrobatics on their 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. The newly-formed team ‘Seema Bhawani’ was led by Sub-Inspector Stanzin Noryang and had 113 members.
Again marking a first, an all-women stunt contingent of the CRPF performed at the event and was named ‘Women Daredevils CRPF’, comprising 120 soldiers.
For the first time in the country’s history, an all-women contingent from the three forces — Army, Air Force and Navy — marched down the path between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The Army contingent was led by Capt Divya Ajith, the Navy was led by Lt Commander Sandhya Chauhan. The Air Force contingent was led by Squadron Leader Sneha Shekhawat. The contingents had 148 personnel each drawn from the Army, Air Force and the Navy. “We believe we are equal and second to none. We have already marched for the first time on the Army Day and now another first would be the Republic Day parade. So, yes, we do wish to be in the combat force,” Capt Ajith, who was with the Corps of Army Air Defence, had said.
