New Delhi: No children aged below 15 years, less than one-fourth the usual number of participants, and no standing spectators — these are some of the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the Republic Day parade.

The 2021 Republic Day parade on 26 January will come just days before India completes a year of its battle against Covid-19 — the first coronavirus case in the country was reported last January, and the first fatality recorded in March.

While India is set to roll out vaccines for the disease, Covid-19 continues to infect thousands of people every day. As a result, several restrictions will be in place as India marks its 72nd Republic Day with the annual parade, which is a showcase of the country’s cultural heritage and military might.

Speaking to ThePrint, senior government officials said the 2021 Republic Day parade will be a low-key affair with 25,000 spectators, as compared to 1.15 lakh last year.

The conduct of the parade, the sources added, will be similar to last year, but “social distancing has been factored into all activities”. However, the distance the parade covers will be shorter. While the parade usually goes from Vijay Chowk to the Red Fort, it will end at National Stadium this time, a difference of approximately 5 km.

Also Read: India ‘unlikely’ to have Republic Day chief guest after UK PM drops out — a first in 55 yrs

Covid protocols in place

According to senior government officials, only children aged above 15 years will be allowed at the parade, and there will be no standing spectators.

The usual tiered stands — used for seating the audience during the Republic Day parade and the Beating the Retreat ceremony (29 January) — will be missing as well. Instead, the officials said, chairs will be placed on wooden elevated platforms of three different heights — 3 inches, 5 inches and 10 inches. A suitable number of rows will be arranged height-wise at the venue to ensure physically-distanced seating, the officials added.

Other steps being taken in view of the pandemic include thermal screening at all entry points, and a thorough sanitisation of the premises. The dais, officials said, will be sprayed with anti-viral/bacterial coating.

Masks, gloves and hand sanitisers will be available at the gates.

26 tableaux this year

There will be 26 tableaux at the parade this year, including from nine central ministries and departments, and 17 states and Union Territories (UTs). Last year’s parade had 22 tableaux.

There will be two special tableaux this year — one from the Ministry of Culture, heralding “75 years of Independence” celebrations (India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022), and another on “New India” (a catchphrase of the Modi government) by the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry, the sources said.

An expert committee under the defence ministry selects the tableaux from several applications.

A team from the Bangladesh armed forces will also participate in the parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

As many as 23 bands — 18 from the Army, one from the Navy and the IAF each, and three from the Central Armed Police Forces — are scheduled to play 24 music tunes.

Another possible difference this year is the absence of a foreign dignitary as chief guest. India had invited UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the parade but he dropped out Tuesday, at the last moment, citing the Covid situation. If this happens, it will be a first since 1966.

lso Read: Should Delhi’s Republic Day parade be held in a state capital every year?

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Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 8

With talks deadlocked, the Centre has started roping in heads of religious sects in Punjab to break the impasse on the farm laws.

While Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met Baba Lakha Singh of Nanaksar Gurdwara yesterday, the BJP is now contemplating involving Giani Harpreet Singh, Akal Takht Jathedar, for mediation between the Centre and protesting farmers.

“As negotiations aren’t moving beyond ‘yes’ and ‘no’, we need a third party whom both sides look up to. There has been trust deficit and spiritual leaders can help bridge the gap. We will approach Giani Harpreet Singh — head of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs,” said BJP national spokesperson Kamaljit Soi.

Soi claimed it was tough to come to conclusion on any point with around 40 union leaders, attending talks from the farmers’ side. “It’s terribly cold and even Baba Lakha Singh was of the view that all farmers, particularly women and children, should return home,” he added.

About the proposed mediation, SGPC chief Jagir Kaur said, “Though the ongoing crisis is no way related to religion, it’s up to Giani Harpreet Singh to decide. Moreover, the Centre has a battery of intellectuals who can play mediator.”

BKU (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said by roping in dera heads and priests, the Centre was “trying to play a religious card”. “If we don’t agree to what the Jathedar tells us, they might say we are not even following the Akal Takht diktat. It’s purely a legal matter and we won’t succumb to such tactics,” he said.

Baba Ram Singh, who recently died at the protest site, too was from the Nanaksar sect. Baba Lakha Singh has been running a 24-hour ‘langar’ at Singhu since the protests began on November 25.

“A farmer himself, Baba ji owns plantations and is also an environmentalist. Our minister told him the government’s point of view and he assured us he will talk to the farmers today, which he has done. We are hopeful his message to the farmers will help defuse the situation,” said Soi.

The Nanaksar sect has its headquarters at Kaleran village in Jagraon (Ludhiana), but has centres across Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and even Canada. It was founded by Baba Nand Singh in the 1920s. The sect believes in vegetarianism and the followers wear white turbans. Giani Harpreet Singh could not be contacted.

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 8

Protesting farmers and the Centre today failed to resolve the ongoing deadlock over three farm laws with the eighth round of talks ending inconclusively and the next scheduled for January 15.

• Edit: Time for breakthrough

The government appears to have pinned hopes of a resolution on the Supreme Court that will hear the matter on January 11 even as farm union representatives ruled out option of impleading in the case.

“We will win or die” was the message on the placards representatives of 41 farm unions held at the meeting where they refused to break for lunch reportedly upset over ministers arriving 40 minutes late for the talks.

“We are not going to vacate the sites of agitation even if the Supreme Court directs us to,” farmer leader Darshan Pal said after the meeting as unions vowed to escalate mobilisation for the January 26 protests. Agriculture Minister NS Tomar said after the meeting that no consensus could be reached today as farm unions did not offer any alternatives barring repeal of farm laws. The government categorically ruled out rescinding the legislations with Tomar noting that “many other farm groups nationally are in support of the laws”. The minister said the Centre was committed to the directions of Supreme Court, whatever these might be. He, however, said no proposal was made to farmers to implead in the ongoing SC case.

Farmer leaders on their part maintained that Tomar had suggested in the meeting that the union leaders could petition the apex court, if they found the farm laws unconstitutional.

“We will not be party to the case as that will delay the matter,” said farmer leader BS Rajewal, who opened the dialogue on the behalf of the farmers today saying the Centre did not have the right to legislate on agriculture, since it is a state subject.

BKU’s Rakesh Tikait said farmers were ready to protest till 2024 and hold as many rounds of talks as the Centre had to offer. “If we can go to jail 350 times, why can’t we talk to the Centre 350 times?” he said.

Canadian MP’s presence under lens

The MEA on Friday said it had noted reports about the presence of Indo-Canadian MP Ramandeep Brar at the farmers’ protests at Kundli on January 2. Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the government was “ascertaining the fact”. Brar was backed by DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

5K volunteers for traffic control

With the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha keen on a massive tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day, process has begun to recruit thousands of volunteers from different states to regulate the traffic for the march. Farm bodies believe around 5,000-10,000 volunteers will be needed to control the traffic.

Govt urged farmer unions to give option other than repealing farm laws during talks: Tomar

New Delhi, January 8, 2021 (ANI): The stalemate between the government and farmer unions persisted during the eighth round of talks on Friday with the farmers insisting on their demand for the repeal of the new farm laws. The government asked farmer unions to “give an option other than repealing” and the next round of talks is proposed for January 15.

Talking to reporters after the meeting held at Vigyan Bhavan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar hoped that a solution will be found in the next meeting on January 15. “Discussion on the laws was taken up but no decision could be made. The government said that if farmer unions give an option other than repealing, we will consider it. But no option could be presented, so the meeting concluded. The next meeting will be held at 12 noon on January 15 and I hope that a solution will come out in that meeting,” Tomar said.
He said that many people in the country are in favour of laws but protesters believe that these laws should be withdrawn.

“The government has said time and again that if farmer unions give options other than repealing of laws, we are always ready for the talk. People who are protesting believe that these laws should be withdrawn. There are many people in the country who are in favour of these laws. Those supporting the protest are of the view that the laws be repealed and there are many others who support the laws,” he said.

“The government is continuously talking to the unions who want these laws be repealed. We also give an appointment to those supporting the laws, when they request us,” he added.

After the meeting, Hannan Mollah, general secretary, All India Kisan Sabha said that the scheduled ‘parade’ by farmers on the Republic Day will go on as planned as the talks have “failed to give any result”. He said there was a heated discussion.
“There was a heated discussion. We said we do not want anything other than the repeal of laws. We won’t go to any court. The laws should be repealed or we will continue to fight. Our parade on January 26 will go on as planned,” he said.

Apart from Tomar, union minister Piyush Goyal participated in the meeting. Sources said there was a heated argument on next date with the farmers stating that they “had not come for taking dates”.

On January 2, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a joint front of almost 40 farmer organisations threatened that farmers will march into Delhi on January 26 with their tractors, trolleys and other vehicles if their demands are not met. They said a “farmers’ republic parade” will take place after the official parade.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

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New Delhi: The Indian Army will initiate disciplinary proceedings against a serving soldier who had participated in a farmers’ protest in Bathinda last month, a development which has led to local commanders sensitising the troops on the dos and don’ts.

The Army is also in the process of identifying another soldier who had posted a video on social media in support of the farm protests.

The sources also said that in the case of the protests at Bhatinda, the soldier, who carried a placard in support of the farmers while wearing uniform and face shield, was identified after a probe was initiated when his pictures came out on social media.

Section 21 in The Army Act

The act by the soldier, who was on leave at that time, was in violation of the Army Act, 1950, which lays down clear rules against participation in protests, the sources added.

It also forbids soldiers from attending or addressing any meeting or to taking part in any demonstration organised by any body of persons for any political or other purposes.

Sources said that discipline is a big priority in the armed forces. “It was the farmers protest today, tomorrow, it might be something else. The armed forces are the last bastion for the nation and hence discipline is very important,” a source said.

Also read: Controversial Punjab DIG resigns in support of farmer ‘brothers’