Bengaluru: On 15 January each year, the Indian Army observes Army Day to commemorate the occasion when General Sir Francis Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, relinquished power in 1949 to General K.M. Cariappa who then became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
This year was the first time the Army Day parade was not held in Delhi and instead held at the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) and Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Also known as Madras Sappers, MEG is part of the Army’s Corps of Engineers.
Addressing the ‘Shaurya Sandhya‘, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande said Sunday that the Indian Army wants to “pivot from manpower intensive to technology-driven force”. This, he added, will prepare us for “future conflict”.
The 75th Army Day parade witnessed a military band comprising five regimental brass bands, besides an impressive show of weaponry, discipline, precision, and teamwork.
Moreover, this was also the first time a horse-mounted contingent from the Army Service Corps (ASC) took part in the parade.