Paris [France], July 14 : Mentioning the marching of Indian soldiers and flying of Rafale aircraft alongside the French troops during the Bastille Day Parade celebrations, President Emmanuel Macron said that France honours the memory of those who fought with the French in the First World War.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron for the Bastille Day parade as the Guest of Honour with an Indian tri-services marching contingent alongside the French troops during the country's National Day celebrations at the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marched alongside their French counterparts on at the Bastille Day Parade, which also witnessed a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French partners.
“This 14 July, soldiers and Rafale aircraft from India are marching and flying alongside our troops. We honour the memory of those who fought with the French in the First World War. We shall never forget,” tweeted Macron.
It is worth mentioning that the association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War I. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never return again, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil also, the Defence Ministry said earlier.
Many Indians like Welinkar, Shivdev Singh, HC Dewan and Jumbo Majumdar fought over the skies of France during the two World Wars. Some, like Jumbo Majumdar, were also decorated for their gallant action, over the Falaise Gap, during the terminal phase of World War II, added the official statement.
The Indian Army contingent comprising of 77 marching personnel and 38 members of the Band was led by Captain Aman Jagtap. Indian Navy contingent was led by Commander Vrat Baghel and the Indian Air Force contingent by Wing Commander Sudha Reddy.
The Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force were also a part of the flypast during the parade.
The Army contingent was represented by the Punjab Regiment which is one of the oldest Regiments of the Indian Army. The troops of the Regiment have participated in both the World Wars as well as the post-independence operations. In World War-I, they were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours.
Earlier on March 12, the Embassy of France in India also lauded the bravery of soldiers of Punjab Regiment in World War I and shared a tweeted a special message for them.
Taking to Twitter, the Embassy wrote, "A warm welcome to France for the Indian tri-force contingent that will march in the Bastille Day parade on July 14! We feel especially honoured to welcome soldiers from the Punjab Regiment, whose valorous history includes fighting alongside French troops in WWI.”
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