NEW DELHI: In a departure from tradition, India did not display its nuclear capable missiles at the Republic Day parade on Monday, and it is thought the decision had to do with sensitivities surrounding the presence of US President Barrack Obama as chief guest.

Mr Obama, the first US president to watch the spectacular parade as state guest, extracted another vital concession to protocol: he drove to the ceremony in his own presidential limousine ‘The Beast’.

Read: Rain fails to dampen cheer as Obama attends India parade

It is thought that Mr Obama’s decision to use the private presidential car, while leaving Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to travel alone in his limousine, had to do as much with the US leader’s security as the fact that he needed to monitor events around the world, such as the Greece electoral verdict that has shocked global markets.

Also read: Modi, Obama announce nuclear breakthrough after talks

The politically crucial change of guard in Saudi Arabia with the anointment of a new monarch would be another thought going through his mind as the US president sat for almost two hours in full public view removed and cut away from global developments.

Also read: Obama's visit to India: Of handshakes and hugs

The decision not to display nuclear missiles in the parade was taken on the suggestion of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, local reports said.

“The MEA does not want more than 200 journalists accompanying Obama to report the capability of the nuclear warhead because it will convey the message to the world that India tried to impress the US President with its rising nuclear might by parading its indigenous missile,” a report said, quoting sources.

It said the display of Agni-V could also create the strategic perception that India is developing ICBM to emerge as a power against China, which will impact the bilateral relations between the two countries.

The fact that most of the machines moving past were largely of Russian origin, along with a few pieces of American equipment, would not have gone unnoticed although this year’s parade featured some military hardware developed indigenously.

The Indo-Russian joint effort BrahMos was a model, which the US is reportedly keen to replicate with India with offers of joint development and production. Some recent acquisitions from the

US took part in the fly-past such as the C-130 Hercules tactical transport, C-17 heavy transport and the Naval P-8I maritime patrol aircraft flying in formation with the two latest Russian built MiG-29Ks.

Seventy per cent of India’s military arsenal is Russian equipment, and only in the last decade has India started to diversify its purchases. But India’s defence purchases from the US have increased rapidly in the last decade with deals worth over $10 billion and many more in the pipeline.

India is the world’s largest weapons importer and has recently increased foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence to 49 per cent from 26.

Published in Dawn January 27th, 2015

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