Under tight security, India gears up for 78th Independence Day

New Delhi: India's 78th Independence Day will be celebrated on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the nation from Delhi's iconic Red Fort. For the eleventh year in a row, the Prime Minister will lead this national holiday by raising the national flag and giving the traditional speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

The theme of this year's celebration, 'Viksit Bharat @ 2047', aims to propel the country towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by the year 2047.

The ceremony will begin with Prime Minister Modi being received by senior government and military officials, followed by an inspection of the Guard of Honour, which this year will be coordinated by the Indian Navy.

A symbolic moment will occur when the Prime Minister unfurls the national flag, accompanied by a 21-gun salute by the 1721 Field Battery, using indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns.

Around 6,000 special guests representing diverse sections of Indian society, including youth, tribal communities, farmers, women, and beneficiaries of various government schemes have been invited this year to witness the ceremony.

In preparation for the celebrations, security has been ramped up across the country, particularly in Delhi, where more than 10,000 police officers and 3,000 traffic police personnel have been deployed.

The capital city is under tight surveillance, with 700 AI-powered facial recognition cameras installed in key areas.

These cameras, equipped with high-resolution pan-tilt-zoom features, are part of the enhanced security measures to ensure the safety of the Prime Minister and other VVIP guests.

In addition to the extensive police presence, snipers, elite SWAT commandos, and sharpshooters have been positioned at strategic locations. The city's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh will be sealed after 11:30 p.m. on August 14, restricting the entry of commercial heavy vehicles and ensuring thorough checks on all vehicles entering the capital.

Delhi Traffic Police has issued advisories regarding route closures and diversions around the Red Fort, and restrictions on flying sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders and drones will remain in effect until the conclusion of the Independence Day events.

Security has also been heightened in other parts of the country.

In Punjab and Haryana, police forces have established a strong presence around venues where state-level celebrations will take place. In Punjab, flag marches have been conducted, and special search operations have been launched, particularly in sensitive areas like Pathankot. The authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

Meanwhile, in the Maoist-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, Independence Day will hold special significance as the national flag will be hoisted for the first time in 13 remote villages. The establishment of security camps in these villages has enabled the safe celebration of the national festival in areas previously dominated by left-wing extremism.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has also intensified its vigilance along the international border with Bangladesh to prevent any potential threats.

Students benefiting from the Atal Innovation Mission and PM SHRI (Prime Minister's Schools for Rising India) scheme, and volunteers of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) and National Service Scheme under 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' will attend the event.

The Indian contingent which took part in the recently-concluded Paris Olympics has also been invited to participate in the celebrations. One guest from each block of the Aspirational Blocks Programme; workers of Border Roads Organisation; students from the PRERANA School programme; and sarpanches of Gram Panchayats which achieved saturation in priority sector schemes will also attend the event.

Nearly 2,000 people from various States/Union Territories dressed in traditional attire have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony. Three thousand (3,000) winners of different online competitions, organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with MyGov and Akashvani, will also be part of the celebrations.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar to the Prime Minister. The GoC, Delhi Area will then conduct PM Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.

The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of one officer & 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force & Delhi Police. The Indian Navy is the coordinating service this year. The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Commander Arun Kumar Mehta. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard will be commanded by Major Arjun Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Rajnath Singh, Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The GoC, Delhi area will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to unfurl the National Flag.

Lieutenant Sanjeet Saini will assist the Prime Minister in unfurling the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, will be commanded by Major Sabnis Kaushik and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (AIG) Anuthosh Sarkar.

The National Flag Guard, comprising one officer and 32 Other Ranks each from the Army, Navy & Air Force and 128 personnel of Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Commander Vinay Dubey will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.

The Army Contingent in the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Major Dinesh Ngangom, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Sachin Dhankhar and the Air Force Contingent by Squadron Leader CS Shravan Devaiah. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Achin Garg.

After being unfurled, the Tricolour will receive a 'Rashtriya Salute'. The Punjab Regiment Military band, consisting of one JCO and 25 Other Ranks, will play the National Anthem during the unfurling of the National Flag and present the ‘Rashtriya Salute’. The Band will be conducted by Subedar Major Rajinder Singh.

As soon as the National Flag is unfurled by the Prime Minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv of the Indian Air Force in the Line Astern Formation. The captains of the helicopters will be Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Wing Commander Rahul Nainwal.

After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation. At the conclusion of his speech, the cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem. A total of 2,000 boy and girl cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) from different schools across the country will participate in the celebrations. These cadets will be seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart. They will be forming the ‘My Bharat’ logo with customised tricolour kits. A total of 500 National Service Scheme (NSS) Volunteers will also take part.

With inputs from IANS