[The president’s presence required extensive security preparations, as he had not spent so much time outdoors in public in a foreign country during his six years in office. As is typical for outdoor events, he was seated behind bulletproof glass shields. Indian security was so tight that ballpoint pens were confiscated from reporters who showed up to cover the parade.]
By Peter Baker and Ellen Barry
NEW DELHI — On one level, of course,
it was just a parade. But asPresident
Obama watched marching military units pass by at India’s annual
Republic Day celebration on Monday, it served as a fitting geopolitical
metaphor as well.
Overhead were
Russian-made MI-35 helicopters and on the street in front of him were
Russian-made T-90 tanks, a reminder of India’s longstanding ties to Moscow
dating to the Cold War. Yet it was Mr. Obama in the seat of the chief guest as
he used his visit here to cement stronger relations between the United States
and India.
The parade was the visual
centerpiece of Mr. Obama’s three-day trip, a colorful mélange of modern-day
military hardware, soldiers in traditional turbans and costumes riding camels,
and a series of floats from myriad states capturing different aspects of
India’s rich and complicated cultures. The invitation to Mr. Obama to attend in
the position of honor was an important diplomatic gesture.
While the weather proved
rainy and dreary, Mr. Obama gave every impression of enjoying himself. He
bobbed his head with the music and chatted amiably with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, sitting to his right. He appeared to be chewing gum, probably
Nicorette, which he uses as a substitute for smoking. Michelle
Obama joined him, as did several members of the United States
Congress, including Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, the House minority
leader.
Mr. Obama’s decision to
accept the invitation to be chief guest was seen here as a great tribute to
India, heralded by politicians and the news media as a sign of the country’s
importance on the world stage. An announcer told the crowd that it was “a proud
moment for every Indian.”
The president’s presence
required extensive security preparations, as he had not spent so much time
outdoors in public in a foreign country during his six years in office. As is
typical for outdoor events, he was seated behind bulletproof glass shields.
Indian security was so tight that ballpoint pens were confiscated from
reporters who showed up to cover the parade.
Republic Day is a major holiday
in India, marking the day in 1950 when the country’s postpartition democratic
Constitution came into force. Much of New Delhi was shut down, and as usual on
the holiday, alcohol generally was not to be served.
While the military
hardware underscored New Delhi’s ties to Moscow, Mr. Obama and the American
delegation made clear that they want to compete for India’s defense dollars.
Mr. Obama and Mr. Modi renewed the 10-year defense pact between the two
countries on Sunday and agreed to cooperate on aircraft carrier and jet engine
technology. They also agreed to work on joint production of small-scale
surveillance drones.
“None of these things
should be considered small in terms of just what it means for working together
as two defense industrial bases and what we can share with each other in terms
of lessons learned going forward, in terms of acquisition systems and what that
means just for the general partnership over all,” said Philip Reiner, the
president’s top South Asia adviser.
Indian analysts disagreed
about the significance of the defense agreements. “It’s a huge step forward,”
said Baijayant Panda, an Indian lawmaker who has long worked on issues
involving the United States. “Irrespective of how this is viewed today, in a
year or 10 months down the road, the defense relationship is going to be
considered a huge success.”
Ashok K. Behuria, an
analyst with the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, a research center
based in New Delhi, said the joint projects were far more modest than those India
has with Russia. “I would say they have lowered their ambitions; they have
taken up only those issues which are realizable,” he said. “They are baby
steps. Let’s hope they will succeed.”
That did not mean Russia
was about to cede a lucrative, longtime market. Sergei K. Shoigu, the Russian
defense minister, made a point of visiting last week just before Mr. Obama to
discuss joint production of a light utility helicopter and to resolve disagreements
about a long-delayed fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
India has been the
world’s largest consumer of Russia’s arms industry, which was evident
throughout the Republic Day parade, particularly with a series of flyovers by
MIG-29 and SU-30 fighter jets. But balancing it out a bit were P-8 Poseidon
naval surveillance planes made by Boeing.
After the parade, Mr.
Obama was scheduled to attend a reception hosted by India’s president, Pranab
Mukherjee, and to meet privately with leaders of the Indian National Congress
party, the long-dominant force now in opposition since the Bharatiya Janata
Party of Mr. Modi won enough seats in Parliament last year to form a governing
coalition. In the evening, Mr. Obama planned to host a meeting of Indian and
American business chief executives.
