Break from tradition

NEW DELHI, Jan 24: Fifty years down Independence lane, and India8217;s armed forces are not to be trusted. Or so it seemed during the full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade on Friday, when Army tanks passed the Presidential box without dipping their main guns. The Arjun, T-72 and the BMP-2 contingents are to cross the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces without giving him the traditional salute of loyalty 8211; by dipping the barrels of their main guns.

The contingents of the 43 Armoured Regiment, the first to be equipped with the indigenous Arjun tanks, the T-72s of 52 Armoured Regiment and the BMP-2s of a Guards battalion will now be violating a tradition considered sacrosanct in military history the world over. And this is being done on account of a security directive issued on Thursday by an official in the Prime Minister8217;s Office PMO. Enquiries made by The Indian Express with the numerous security personnel deployed at the rehearsal reveal a curious sequence of events, as well as a disturbing attitude amongst those responsible for handling the protection arrangements. The Deputy Inspector General 8211; Establishment at the PMO informed the Ministry of Defence MoD on Thursday that the main barrels of the tanks will not be allowed to be dipped before the Presidential box, where K R Narayanan, Jacques Chirac the French President the guest of honour, and I K Gujral are to be seated. This step was being undertaken on security grounds, the MoD was informed. The MoD then told the Army about the changes which led to a fair degree of heartburn amongst the parade8217;s contingent commanders. This practice was first instituted in 1985 during the tenure of the late Rajiv Gandhi, but dropped thereafter. It has been restarted this year, and is likely to stay until the perceived threat remains. Aghast at seeing the tanks go by without dipping their main guns, an Army officer posted in Nagaland remarked that,8220; foolproof security can only be ensured by removing every weapon from here8221; 8211; pointing out the roughly 40 odd gun wielding policemen around the Presidential Box. The DIG-Establishment is even believed to have told the MoD that if the barrels have to be dipped, they could be done in the front without the turret turning towards the President and his guests. This suggestion found no takers because there is no logic, to dipping the barrels in the front. 8220;We are saluting the President, not the tarmac. In this case all the marching contingent commanders would have to dip their swords in front. A truly bizarre proposition8221;, an officer said.