New Delhi: As India prepares for Republic Day celebrations on Sunday with common paraphernalia which includes huge tri-colour-themed banners along the Kartavya Path, and the theme of ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’, focusing on 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution, the occasion will witness a chief guest from Indonesia, the same country from where another state head attended the first Republic Day in 1950.
Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebrations in 1950. And 75 years later, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest at this year’s ceremonial parade which will also see the participation of a marching contingent and a band contingent from that country.
Soon after President Subianto’s arrival, Prime Minister Modi welcomed President Subianto, specifying the historic bond shared between the two countries. “Indonesia was the chief guest country on India’s first Republic Day, and as we celebrate 75 years of the Republic, it is a matter of great pride to have Indonesia part of this occasion again,” the PM said.
In his media statement following the talks, Modi described Indonesia as an “important partner” of India in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc as well as in the Indo-Pacific, noting that both countries are committed to a rules-based order in the region. “We agree that the freedom of navigation should be ensured in line with international law,” Modi said amid growing global concerns over China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We held extensive discussions on various aspects of our bilateral ties,” the prime minister said, adding that India and Indonesia have agreed to work jointly on defence manufacturing and supply chains.
Every year, India invites world leaders to attend the Republic Day celebration. Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi graced the occasion in 2023. There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebration. In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the Republic Day parade, while in 2018, leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the event.
In 2017, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at the celebration, while then French President Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016. In 2015, then US President Barack Obama watched the parade. In 2014, ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebration, while Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013.
The heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac. The then British Prime Minister John Major had attended the R-Day celebration in 1993, Nelson Mandela participated as the then South African President in 1995, while South Korean President President Lee Myung Bak witnessed the parade in 2010.
In 2008, Sarkozy participated in the celebrations as French President, while his predecessor Chirac graced the occasion in 1998. Other world leaders who have attended the celebration include Nepal’s King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, who came here in 1999, Iran’s then President Mohammed Khatami in 2003, then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011, and President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1991.