Parwinder Sandhu
New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) As the nation prepares to celebrate the 77th Republic Day, a group of young Indian Army officers will march down Kartavya Path for the first time as Contingent Commanders, an honour that stands above every other emotion they carry.
Months of rigorous training and meticulous preparation culminate in this moment, as their confident smiles mirror the gleam of the stars on their shoulders and the immaculate precision of their ceremonial uniforms. Leading diverse contingents, these officers will proudly represent their respective Corps at the Republic Day parade.
Most are first-generation officers and have been in service for less than a year and they dub the moment a dream come true.
Lieutenant Shashank Sharma, commissioned into the 17 Mechanised Infantry just six months ago, will command the Nag Missile System contingent. Hailing from Ajmer in Rajasthan, the young officer said that the RD parade has given him a lot of exposure, meeting the senior-most officers of the Army during the practice sessions.
“Heavy Shoulders,” a term coined by the boys for their senior officers, reflects how the officers have guided them not only in matters related to the parade but also in aspects that will support them throughout their service. It is inspiring. At such a young service, I have got the opportunity to showcase not only the firepower of Artillery but also represent my Corps in front of the world,” said Capt. Natrajan Siva, contingent commander of Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) – 155 mm.
For Lieutenant Akshay Kumar Bali of 2 Guards, leading the BMP-II Sarath contingent marked a personal milestone. Raised in Satwari in Jammu, he said he grew up watching the Republic Day parade on television.
The officer said, “As a kid, I used to wake up and do the March Past in front of the TV as I saw contingents walk down Kartavya Path (earlier known as Rajpath). Now doing the same, it is a moment of awakening for me. It is also a nice break from the routine life of the unit.”
Among the other contingent commanders at the upcoming 77th Republic Day parade are Lt Vikas (Rajput Regiment), Captain Gaurav Kuntal (Assam Regiment), Captain Anand A (Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment), and Captain Gajendra Goswami (Regiment of Artillery).
Despite the demanding parade schedule, packed with drill rehearsals, uniform parades, and other protocol duties, the young officers made sure to carve out moments of leisure during their time in the national capital.
“We’ve explored several cafés in the Connaught Place area and even shortlisted a few favourite spots, which we’ve shared with other commanders,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.
The senior-most contingent commander, Major Hitesh Mehta, fondly addressed as “Boss” by the other contingent commanders, shared how the team breaks the monotony and sustains camaraderie through light-hearted banter.
“It’s an interesting mix of officers from different corps of the Indian Army. A rigorous schedule like this needs moments of fun to keep the josh high,” he said. Recounting one such incident, Major Mehta said they once shared a young officer’s phone number with the bus driver who came to pick them up after parade practice. The driver kept calling the unsuspecting officer, who was completely clueless about how his number had been passed on. Eventually, he asked the driver to leave, forcing everyone to take cabs after the session.
“By evening, he had to treat all of us for the mix-up,” Major Mehta added with a smile. He is currently leading the Arjun Main Battle Tanks contingent.
