India’s Republic Day celebrations are incomplete without tableaux of different states in the parade on Kartavya Path. The parade on Sunday will feature a 352-member marching and band contingent from Indonesia, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the chief guest on the occasion.
The theme for this year’s tableaux is “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas”. Sixteen tableaux from across states and Union Territories and 15 from central ministries, departments, and organisations will be a part of the parade.
West Bengal’s tableaux will showcase “Lakshmir Bhandar” and “Lok Prasar Prakalpa” as themes, in a bid to highlight the “empowerment and self-reliance” in Bengal. Both are two of the Trinamool Congress government’s well-known schemes, with Lakshmir Bhandar providing financial assistance to women from economically weaker sections and the Lok Prasar Prakalpa paying registered folk artistes between 18 and 60 years Rs 1,000 monthly and a pension of equal amount to those above 60 years. The Gujarat tableaux will feature the ‘Kirti Toran’, a symbol of Gujarat’s cultural heritage from the 12th century, alongside the ‘Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue at 182 meters, a state government press release said.
The other states and UTs that will be represented are Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Karnataka, Chandigarh, and Delhi. For the first time, a Tri-services tableau will also roll down on Kartavya Path, “displaying the spirit of jointness and integration” and a “Joint Operations Room facilitating networking and communication among the three Services”, said an official statement.
There will also be a veterans’ tableau and a DRDO tableau that will display “some path-breaking innovations for national security”.
How are the Republic Day tableaux chosen?
According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) circular dated October 30, 2023, each year, a select number of “State Governments/UT Administrations/Central/Ministries/Departments” send their tableaux to the Republic Day parade. There is a rigorous application process that begins with interested parties submitting a concept note, along with design blueprints to the MoD. The deadline for submissions to participate in this year’s parade was November 10, 2023.
This year’s Republic tableaux in Delhi. (Express photo by Gajendra Yadav)
The tableaux proposals received are evaluated by a committee of experts appointed by the MoD, comprising prominent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography, etc. The selection process happens in a phased manner.
Stage 1 involves the assessment of the initial proposals and the design sketch/blueprint. The Committee sits alongside official representatives of the participants and suggests modifications, if necessary. A number of proposals may be rejected in this stage itself.
Stage 2 involves the assessment of three-dimensional models of the proposals. If the Committee is satisfied with the model, then the tableaux are selected and further sent for fabrication. The Committee can also suggest changes to models before selection.
Crucially, while the process is envisioned to be collaborative, the Committee has the final say on which tableaux are chosen, and can order any modifications they feel are required.
What are the selection criteria?
As per the MoD document, “selection depends upon a combination of factors including but not limited to visual appeal, impact on the masses, idea/theme of the tableaux, degree of detailing involved in the tableaux, music accompanying the tableaux, local artists used etc.”
Each year, the MoD comes up with an overarching theme, under which, participants can showcase elements relevant to their respective state/UT/department in their tableaux. Some of the themes in recent years have been “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) and “Bharat: Loktantra ki Matrika” (India: the Mother of Democracy).
The Defence Ministry also shares the basic guidelines about what all the tableaux can or should include. The participating entities must engage “young qualified designers from renowned institutions”, electronic display walls for a bright display of images or content, moving elements using robotics or mechatronics, 3D printing could be used for certain elements, use of augmented or virtual reality, and special effects to improve the optics and visual effects of the tableaux. Extra weightage is given to tableaux which conform to these guidelines.
Importantly, the tableaux of two different states and UTs must not be too similar and eco-friendly material must be used for their construction.
Have there been any controversies over tableaux?
In 2024, the Centre and several Opposition-ruled states were at loggerheads over the rejection of their states’ tableaux. Punjab, Karnataka, Delhi and West Bengal had protested the rejection of their tableaux.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the decision “an insult to Kannadigas”. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann regarded it as a reflection of the Centre’s “anti-Punjab syndrome”.
While no official reasons were given then, there could have been many factors behind the Centre’s decision. MoD sources had told news agency PTI that Punjab and West Bengal’s tableaux were ultimately rejected as they did not align with the “broader theme”.
Punjab reportedly submitted three proposals, including themes such as “Punjab’s history of sacrifices, women empowerment with Mai Bhago’s story, and the state’s rich cultural heritage”. It is unclear what Bengal’s proposal entailed.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said at the time: “As far as the tableaux issue is concerned, Karnataka has had an opportunity for the last 14 years. Since every state has to get the opportunity, Karnataka has missed this time.”