For the first time, the Border Security Force’s (BSF) all-women marching and brass band contingents will participate in the 75th Republic Day as an Assistant Commandant rank woman officer and two subordinate officers will lead a total of 144 women BSF constables marching down Kartavya Path in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron who is the chief guest of this year’s parade.

The BSF calls this contingent as the ‘Mahila Foot Contingent’ whose participants belong to almost every state of this country. Out of the total participants, a maximum of 27 belong to West Bengal, 10 each from Jammu and Kashmir as well as Punjab, 12 from the North East, and others from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and other states.

Along with the marching contingent, a brass band contingent consisting of 72 members along with a bandmaster and two assistant band masters will also be participating in the parade for the first time. They along with the marching contingent will be among the Central Armed Police Forces that will send contingents to the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path.

This development comes after The Ministry of Defence had last year asked all the forces, state governments, and departments participating in the Republic Day parade to have women participants in their contingents, bands, and tableaux.

Speaking to ANI about the participation of the women contingent, BSF's 25th Battalion Commandant Kamal Kumar said, “BSF's women foot march as well as brass band contingents are being prepared to participate for the first time in this year's Republic Day parade. If we talk about their strength, the women's foot contingent is 144. The contingent will be led by an Assistant Commandant level officer accompanied by two platoon commandoes.”

"There are 75 members in our brass band contingent in which there will be one bandmaster and two platoon commanders. The total number of musical instrument contingents is 72," added the officer. He additionally mentioned that every state in India is represented by women in our contingent. "There are members from Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, western state, and the northern states, almost from all the states," he said.

You might also be interested in - 2 BSF personnel who were part of UN peacekeeping force killed in Congo