Feb 1, 1999

By Dilip Bobb

It's an occasion when all Indians present and accounted for can feel their hearts swell with pride and their lungs fill with pollution. The Republic Day parade in Delhi is a visual Viagra, where Indians can, for the first time, see how much bang we are getting for our bucks. The armed forces with their range of weaponry are the highlight. However, an equally powerful attraction is the various floats representing the states. Here's a sneaky preview of what to watch out for this year.

Why You Sena: The volunteer force which has taken upon itself the responsibility of doing social work for the benefit of the country. Their float depicts their finest moments: increasing agricultural output by digging up fallow land for cultivation; increasing industrial output by ensuring that there is no loss of working hours by millions of cricket fans who stop work to watch matches live or on television; attacking the offices of the BCCI, which finances ties with foreign countries and finally for ensuring security cover for our valuable cricketers so that they can perform to the best of their ability without any pressures affecting their mental state before a Bal is bowled.

The VHP Bandwagon: Another volunteer organisation which has been making a major contribution towards propagating Indian values and traditions. Their float shows the far-sightedness of their leaders in unmasking secret agents like Sonia Gandhi who are acting at the behest of foreign powers in undermining the authority of the state by wooing the minorities, mainly the handful of Christians, who are all potential threats to national security and the future of this Government which, in their view, is one and the same thing.

Bengal's Pride: West Bengal has always been known for its creative talent, and this year is no different. Its float shows the massive progress made in the state because of the railway network which allows the people of the state to travel far and achieve their ambitions. The centrepiece is Mamata Banerjee dressed as a ticket collector ejecting someone who is travelling without a valid ticket. On closer examination it turns out to be Nitish Kumar, the railway minister.

The Third Force: Another ambitious project floated by various leaders who are without an Iftar party to call their own. The float, in the symbolic shape of a hot-air balloon, depicts the leadership trying to float the idea of a viable national alternative while competing with each other for the same slice of the pie. The most intriguing feature of the balloon is that it is held by a giant hand which looks suspiciously like the Congress symbol.

The Chief Guest: One attraction on Republic Day is the prominent world leader who is invited as chief guest. Except that this year European leaders declined because of the attacks on Christians and Islamic ones because of the threats against Muslims. As a consequence, the chief guest will be King Birendra of Nepal, who was coming to India anyway.

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