“It was a momentous occasion march down Champs-Elysees on Bastille Day Parade”: Vrat Baghel, Commander of Indian contingent

New Delhi [India]: Vrat Baghel, Commander of Indian Navy Marching Contingent that participated in the Bastille Day parade at Champs-Elysees said that it was a “momentous occasion.”

“It was a momentous occasion to march down the Champs-Elysees on the Bastille Day Parade. Not just to march but to open the parade was an experience that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande has received us and has given us a positive response,” said Baghel. Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande felicitated the Tri-services Contingent of the Indian Armed Forces which participated in the Bastille Day Parade -2023 in France.

Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy said, “It was amazing that we marched on the foreign land in front of our own Prime Minister and the President of that State. We landed today and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande received us and congratulated us. This was an extremely satisfying moment for all of us here.”

The Indian contingent marched down the Champs-Elysees in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Captain Aman Jagtap, 23 Punjab Regiment, said, “The experience was out of the world. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We dedicated our parade as a tribute to the ancestor of our Punjab Regiment. It was a moment of pride for me and our troop. We are very grateful to get this opportunity.”

The tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marched alongside their French counterparts on at the Bastille Day Parade on July 14, which also witnessed a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French partners.