India has the tradition of inviting heads of state and dignitaries from other countries as the Chief Guest for the annual Republic Day (RD) parade. Data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in response to an application under RTI, reveals some interesting insights about the ‘Chief Guests’ to the Republic Day parade.
There Was No ‘Chief Guest’ on 10 Occasions
We celebrated our 68th Republic Day in 2017. In these 68 years, India always had a Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade, except on 10 occasions. Five of these 10 occasions were in the 1950s.
India did not have a Chief Guest for the RD parade in 1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1970. Since 1971, we have had a Chief Guest every year for the RD parade.
Which Country Did the Chief Guest Come From?
The Chief Guest for India’s RD parade came from 42 different countries till 2017. We have covered most of Asia, part of Europe, Africa and the Americas. A dignitary from France was the chief guest most number of times (five) followed by Bhutan (four) and Mauritius (three). Dignitaries from Brazil, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, UK and erstwhile Yugoslavia were chief guest on two occasions each. A dignitary from Pakistan was the chief guest on two occasions.
First in 1955 when Malik Ghulam Mohammed, the then Governor General was invited. Then in 1965, Rana Abdul Hamid, who was the then Minister of Agriculture in Pakistan was invited.
In fact, this was one of the very few occasions when a person other than a head of the state was invited to be the chief guest.
Which Part of the World Did the Chief Guest Come From?
In the 1950s, only dignitaries from Asia were invited. India started inviting European dignitaries in the 1960s. In fact, European dignitaries were invited the most number of times in the 1960s, 1970s and even in 1980s. Their number has reduced in the last three decades. Dignitaries from India’s neighbouring South Asian countries were invited in every decade starting with the 1950s.
South East Asian dignitaries seem to be the favourites of this decade as they have been invited four times between 2010 and 2017.
Dignitaries from the Middle East were invited for the first time in 2003, when the Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami was the chief guest.
Three Dignitaries Were Invited Twice
Of the 58 occasions where a dignitary was invited as the chief guest for the RD parade, only three were invited twice. The former French President Jacques Chirac, the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk, and the former Yugoslavian President Josip Tito were the only three people who have been invited twice to the RD parade as the chief guest.
The President of a country was invited on 31 occasions followed by the Prime Minister (11 times). The King of a country was invited nine times and Queen Elizabeth was invited once.
The Crown Prince of UAE was the chief guest in 2017. The Chinese Head of State was invited as the chief guest in 1958, the only occasion when a Chinese was invited.
(This article has been published in an association with Factly)
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