Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to receive a grand welcome at the annual Bastille Day celebrations in France on Friday, where he will lead the 269-member Indian tri-services contingent marching on the Champs-Elysees. He will also join French President Emmanuel Macron at a state dinner reserved for the most important of the nation’s guests.
The parade is held on July 14 to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution in 1789. Unlike other national day parades worldwide, this one is unique in that it celebrates what unites the country rather than its differences. It reflects the values of freedom, equality, and fraternity enshrined in the French Constitution and India’s.
While it is uncommon for foreign leaders to be invited as guests of honor, PM Modi’s invite this year marks the 25th anniversary of the ‘strategic partnership’ between France and India. His presence will also highlight the intense chemistry between the two leaders.
It will also be a chance to forge new defense deals as India is looking to quickly modernize its forces amid growing concern about China’s rise and tension along the Himalayan border with Pakistan. According to reports, the two nations are set to ink a deal for another 26 marine versions of the Rafale fighter jet and three more Scorpene-class submarines.
Despite the profound political differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine and human rights abuses by the Modi government, Western democracies have been courting India as a counterweight to China. The visit to Paris comes weeks after US Vice President Joe Biden gave Modi the rare honor of a White House state dinner in Washington. This high-profile recognition is reserved for the most senior officials and dignitaries.
The two-day visit also highlights the close personal ties between the two leaders. They will hold a series of meetings, including a private dinner and a meeting with CEOs, to discuss ways to boost trade, investment, technology transfer, and cooperation on global issues.
However, the two countries’ burgeoning economic and security links could face a challenge from the right-wing domestic politics of both nations. The BJP’s record on human rights has drawn criticism from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who are planning to host private screenings of their film “India: The Modi Question” during the visit.
The Indian tri-services will also be an integral part of the Bastille Day celebrations, with the Army, Navy, and Air Force holding practice sessions in France on Tuesday ahead of the big day. The Indian flag will be carried on the marching contingent, while the IAF’s Rafale jets will do a flypast along with the French Air Force’s Mirage 2000s and Super Etendards. The Indian contingent will also perform a martial arts display as part of the show. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10.10 am (IST). According to a defense ministry official, the prime minister will arrive at the site at around 10.15 am.
