More than pageantry, it is about military diplomacy. At the Republic Day parade tomorrow, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be chief guest, and marching along Kartavya Path will be a contingent of armed forces personnel from his country.
Reaching out to Indonesia, an important country in the Indian Ocean Region is a way of making friends and influencing people. For, the Malacca Straits are an important inlet into the Indian Ocean and India is keen on having its presence there. Joint patrolling is something India will be very happy to be involved in.
The Indonesians, delighted to be invited, have sent a huge delegation, headed by a brigadier. The leader, who went to the Defence Services Staff College in India, brigadier Kristomei Sianturi, said that a contingent of about 350 were here, including soldiers and cadets. There will be a marching continent and also, a band. Among them were a substantial number of women. All of them, except the Brigadier, are in Delhi for the first time. What struck the Brigadier was the enthusiasm for Indonesia. During the practice sessions, there were crowds cheering for them, people so excited to see Indonesians participating in the march past.
As soldiers, the brigadier said, it was an honour to participate in the function. And also, a proud moment to be watched by their President.
For the Indian side, it is important to host a friendly country, a senior Army officer said. The Indian participants have spent time with their Indonesian counterparts and the cultural similarities have brought them together. It is two countries, and almost one culture.
This is not the first time an Indonesian leader has been invited. The first Republic Day chief guest was President Sukarno, a friend of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1950. Then, in 2011, President Susilo Yudhoyono was the chief guest and in 2018, India had ten chief guests-- leaders of the ten ASEAN countries. This included President Joko Widodo of Indonesia. Only a handful of countries have been invited four or more times and they include Russia/Soviet Union and France, major strategic partners.
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