NEW DELHI, Jan 26: President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, attended India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations at the grand Kartavya Path on Sunday, marking his place among a select group of global leaders who have attended this major ceremonial event over the past seventy years.
Subianto’s presence came 75 years after Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, was the chief guest at India’s inaugural Republic Day celebration in 1950.
As the chief guest, Subianto observed a spectacular military parade and cultural performances alongside President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the Union Cabinet, and other distinguished guests on Kartavya Path, the central avenue of the national capital.
The former defense minister is the fourth president of Indonesia to participate in India’s Republic Day festivities.
Accompanied by a significant delegation of six cabinet ministers, senior officials, and a large business cohort, Subianto arrived in India on Thursday night for a four-day state visit.
Notably, a 352-member Indonesian marching and band contingent also took part in the parade, marking the first instance of such a contingent participating in a national day parade abroad.
It is reported that Subianto took a personal interest in the military marching rehearsals conducted in Jakarta prior to their journey to India.
On Saturday, he engaged in extensive discussions with Modi, focusing on enhancing defense cooperation between the two nations.
The Republic Day parade showcased India’s military capability, featuring elite marching units, missiles, and indigenous weaponry.
Each year, India invites world leaders to attend its Republic Day celebrations; last year, French President Emmanuel Macron served as the chief guest, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended in 2023.
It’s worth noting that there were no chief guests in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the honored guest, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attending in 2019 and leaders from all 10 ASEAN countries participating in 2018.
Previous distinguished guests have included Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2017, French President Francois Hollande in 2016, and former US President Barack Obama in 2015.
In more recent years, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest in 2014, while Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended in 2013. Other notable attendees over the years have included Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammad Khatami, and Jacques Chirac. The former British Prime Minister John Major was present in 1993, and Nelson Mandela was there as the President of South Africa in 1995. South Korean President Lee Myung Bak observed the parade in 2010, while Sarkozy and Chirac represented France in 2008 and 1998, respectively. Additionally, Nepal’s King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Iran’s President Khatami, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Maldives’ President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were also notable participants.
