Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade held in Paris, France on July 14. An Indian contingent of 400 soldiers from the Army, Navy and Air Force participated in the parade for the first time on the Champs-Elysees of Paris.
Bastille day on July 14 is celebrated in France to mark the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Paris jail in 1789 by revolutionaries, an event that triggered France’s transition from a monarchy to a republic.
French media speculates that the decision to honour the Indian troops was an attempt to strengthen Indo-French relationship, as France is keen to sell India its Rafale jet fighters, while French nuclear power producer Areva has recently signed a draft deal for the sale of up to six nuclear reactors in India.
Here are some photographs from the Press Information Bureau.
Indian Navy contingent as a part of the Bastille Day Parade of France, in Paris.
Indian Navy Band contingent as a part of the Bastille Day Parade of France, in Paris.
Read more from Press Information Bureau and France 24.
Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:
Ship Borne Test Flights of Russian UAVs in Arctic Conducted
Sharks Don’t Dare to Bite Super Model
Update: July 15
View Indian contingent in a video clip from CCTV: French foreign legion “Légion étrangère” on display – F24 071409
Update: July 19
View a video clip from France 24: Indian army open the military march down the Champs Elysees
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Vive la Inde! Vive La France
Merci
susigaran