Republic Day

The centrepiece of Republic Day is a two hour parade salute to the President. I caught it on television today while packing before catching the train down to Goa.
First there is the standard military element. India's combined military forces, the second largest in the world numbering at an impressive 1.5 million, march past in a way that is British or American in style. Whirling battons, silly walks, the whole 19th century deal. Even one of the commentators (I am watching it on TV) speaks in a very plummy British accent. It vaugely hints of everything I deplore about colonialism - the militaristic triumphalism and grand posturing, something which seems to have filtered into Indian political culture even in rejecting the presence of Britain and the other western powers. Even the backdrop of Dehli is reminiscent of Washington or Whitehall. Obelixs and Greco-Roman forums glint pale beyond the marchers.
What follows the military procession is more cheering however. Floats representing each of the 28 states of India, showing off various cultural customs or proud social activities. And then government departments get a shot at a performance - from schooling to the health service to the bizarre and mildly terrifying performance of the Department For Disaster Management where men in chemical suits tend to dying patients while errie sirens emit from speakers.
All together - representations of hazardous death aside - it is cheesy, and sacchrine sweet, images representatives of every part of Indian society jollying along together in a show of unity and tolerance which does nothing to reflect many manifest challenges confronting the country. Yet for me there is something about the attempt at togetherness that I find very appealing and disarming. The all prevelent cynacism that colours national discourse back in the UK is a luxery afforded through experiencing so little risk. The stakes are higher out here,  and stability and prosperity something to be achieved rather than assumed, and this requires images of hope.
And one thing that was brought home powerfully was the sheer diversity of India - Chinese style dragons and tibetan monks on top of the floats from the very north of the country vie with the traditional dances of the south. There is such richness here on a level that I had just not considered before. Sure I knew north varied from the south and the east from the west. But in actuality each state has a different cusine, culture, ritual and language to the next.

ps. Brillantly, now as I watch they have ten daredevil riders teetering in formation on a single motorcycles pretending to be a migratory bird. Genius.