Selection of tableaux for the Republic Day parade | Explained

The Hindu decodes the recent controversy over the selection of tableaux for the Republic Day parade.

The story so far: The latest tussle between the Central government and non-BJP ruled States over the rejection of tableaux proposals for this year’s Republic Day parade has taken a political tone, with the Opposition accusing the Narendra Modi-led government of bias. While the Centre is yet to release the final list of tableaux for the parade, it has rejected the criticism as “baseless” and claimed that the rejected proposals didn’t align with this year’s broader theme.

This is not the first time that such allegations have surfaced in the run-up to the annual parade. “Tableau politics” have made headlines in the past during both National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regimes, with allegations of partisan conduct.

Also Read | On the need for more objectivity in the selection of tableaux for the Republic Day parade 

Republic Day is an annual celebration to mark the adoption of the Indian Constitution and India’s transition to a democratic republic. Led by the President from the Kartavya Path in New Delhi, the parade exhibits military might and cultural heritage, which includes tableaux rolled out by States, Union Territories, Central ministries and departments.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is responsible for conducting the parade and coordinating arrangements with States and other agencies. Preparations for the ceremony, which has become synonymous with national pride and patriotism, begin months in advance. This process includes the selection and shortlisting of tableaux.

As per the Ministry, there is a standard procedure for selecting parade participants. Every year, months ahead of the event, the MoD invites States, UTs and departments to submit sketches or designs for tableaux on a broad theme. For instance, this year’s theme is ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) and ‘Bharat-Loktantra ki Matruka’ (India-Mother of Democracy).

The sketch or design must be simple, colourful, easy to comprehend and avoid statistical data and unnecessary details. Additionally, the Ministry shares basic guidelines that must be included in the proposal like the use of eco-friendly material and technology. Writing or use of logos on the tableaux is not allowed except for the name of State/UT presenting, which can be in Hindi in the front, English at the back and in the regional language on the sides of the tableau.