- A ceremonial honor will be accorded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade this Friday
- The parade will be held Gujarat to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
In a concrete manifestation of women's leadership within the security apparatus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive a guard of honour by contingents of police and paramilitary personnel.
One being a police contingent and the other a paramilitary contingent, both commanded by a female officer during the celebration of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) parade on coming Friday.
The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is going to be hosted at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia of Gujarat, which is home to the 182-metre Statue of Unity, dedicated to the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and will use this occasion to demonstrate not only women in uniform, but their contributions and strength as well.
As commander of the parade this year is Simran Bhardwaj as Additional Superintendent of Police in Rajkot and in the 2022 batch Indian Police Service officer of Gujarat cadre.
All contingents composed of BSF, CISF, ITBP, CRPF and SSB personnel, as well as detachments of state police personnel from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, will be commanded by female officers. In addition, a contingency from The National Cadet Corps (NCC) will participate.
Simran called it an honor and a "moment she will treasure for the rest of her life." Nadiya Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir police, said she took pride in her sense of being local to the national event and was echoed by fellow Deputy Superintendent of Police in Chhattisgarh, Garima Dadar.
In addition, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Madhusmita Deka stated the symbolism of being a contingent leader from her home state of Assam.
The parade will also incorporate unique performances and demonstrations by women staff of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), showcasing martial arts and unarmed combat demonstrations, which will demonstrate women's courage and strength as women forces.
The ceremony will commemorate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as India's first Home Minister and Deputy PM. He was given the title "Iron Man of India" for the role he played of unifying 562 princely states into one nation after Independence.
There will also be a motorcycle parade by Assam Police and a camel-mounted ‘contingent and’ band of the BSF. Ten tableaux will include a wide representation of states, union territories, and central forces, like the NSG and NDRF, which highlight unity in diversity.
Thousands of police personnel have been rehearsing for weeks to ensure a successful ceremony. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka attended a recent full-dress rehearsal.
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