New Delhi, January 15: Republic Day celebrations from this year onwards will begin from January 23 instead of January 24 to include the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
“This is in line with the government’s focus on celebrating/commemorating important aspects of our history and culture,” sources said, noting it had earlier started celebrating Bose’s birth anniversary as “Parakram Divas”.
Other such days, observance of which have become a yearly affair, are August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, October 31 as National Unity Day (birth anniversary of Sardar Patel), November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary), November 26 as Constitution Day and December 26 as Veer Baal Divas (a tribute to the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh), sources added.
Besides, around 24,000 persons will be permitted to attend the Republic Day parade on January 26 this year given the Covid-19 situation in the national capital, sources in the defence establishment said on Saturday.
In 2020, before the pandemic struck India, 1.25 lakh persons were permitted to attend the parade. Last year’s Republic Day parade took place amid the pandemic and close to 25,000 persons were allowed to attend it, sources mentioned.
Like last year, this time too the parade may not have any foreign dignitary as the chief guest due to the pandemic.
Out of 24,000 persons who would be attending the parade, 19,000 would be invited and the rest would be the general public, who could purchase tickets, sources said.
