Special gesture: UAE contingent leads India's R-Day parade

Marking a special gesture for UAE, a contingent of the influential Arab country's armed forces today led the main parade of India's 68th Republic Day parade at the majestic Rajpath here.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chief Guest at the Republic Day, said UAE's participation "reflects the depth of our ties which are based on mutual respect and common interests" as he hailed the Indian values and diversity showcased in the parade.
As the Crown Prince, seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, witnessed the parade, a 149-member contingent from UAE along with a band comprising 35 musicians marched down the Rajpath for the first time.

Led by Lt Col Abood Musabeh Abood Musabeh Alghfeli, the UAE contingent comprised a mix of personnel from the Presidential Guards, the Air Force, the Navy and the Army.
They carried M-16 rifles as they marched past the dais from where President Pranab Mukherjee took the salute.
The UAE military contingent was followed by an impressive military band of 35 musicians, dressed in white trousers and red bandhgala coat and playing delightful marching tune "Kaptien".

Members of the delegation of the Crown Prince were seen clicking photographs and making videos using their mobile phones as the UAE contingent passed by.

The Crown Prince conveyed his message through a series of tweets on MBZNews, his official Twitter account.
"I am very delighted and honored to share Republic Day celebrations with the Indian people," he said.
The tweets, both in Arabic and English, said Mohamed bin Zayed attended India's Republic Day celebrations "amid a warm official and popular reception" and "conveys Sheikh Khalifa and UAE's people greetings to the Indian people and government on the occasion of Republic Day."
He added, "Republic Day is an example of how positive values propel nations into greatness. This is something that we in the UAE takes at heart."

Hailing the host country's diversity, Al Nahyan said, "India sends a civilized message to the rest of the world as its people - from diverse ethnicities, religions and sects - celebrate in unity."
He noted that the day "marks a turning point in Indian history: a political system that celebrates diversity within unified national fabric was formed."
The UAE is the second country after France whose troops participated in the Republic-Day parade of India, a tradition started last year.
The UAE contingent got a formal invitation from the Indian Army to participate in the Republic Day parade about three-four weeks ago.

The Arab nation was initially wanted to send its paratroopers, but the Defence Ministry did not agree to it.
Senior army officials said it was a good chance for Indian troops to interact with their UAE counterparts.