New Delhi: India’s successful campaign against Maoist insurgency will be the central theme of the National Unity Day parade at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on Saturday, with security forces preparing to showcase their role in anti-Naxalite operations. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, is scheduled to attend the evening event, which will bring together specialist combat units, state police contingents and residents of districts affected by the insurgency.
The programme will combine a ceremonial march-past with films and cultural performances under the theme of “Naxal-Mukt Bharat”, or an India free of Naxalism. According to an ANI report, participating formations include the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its specialist Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units, Chhattisgarh Police and other central armed police forces.
Short films recounting the participating forces’ anti-Naxalite operations will be shown on multiple LED screens as their contingents pass the reviewing stand. The presentation is intended to connect the parade with the operational experience of personnel deployed against left-wing extremism, alongside accounts from communities that have lived through the violence.
The National School of Drama will present performances involving about 2,000 artists from 126 districts that have experienced armed Naxalism at different stages. Their performances will depict the insecurity faced by residents, including threats to their lives and property.
About 5,000 people from those districts have also been invited to attend and share their experiences. Overall, the celebrations are expected to accommodate around 25,000 people, with the programme extending beyond the security forces’ march-past to cultural presentations, tableaux and a motorcycle rally.
What we know about the parade and its theme
CoBRA is preparing to field a contingent of approximately 144 personnel, including an assistant commandant leading the formation and two subordinate officers. A CoBRA officer told ANI that the force’s operational experience included deployments in difficult forest terrain such as Abujhmad and Saranda, where improvised explosive devices and other hazards posed substantial risks.
The contingent’s inclusion places specialist jungle warfare personnel at the centre of the parade’s security theme. The CRPF is a major component of the central deployment against Maoist insurgents, while CoBRA provides a specialized capability for operations in forested areas where movement, surveillance and evacuation can be particularly difficult.
Chhattisgarh Police will contribute around 650 personnel across three contingents representing the male District Reserve Guard (DRG), female DRG and Special Task Force (STF). A dog squad and motorcycle team will accompany the state’s participation, according to the arrangements described in the report.
The DRG officer, Kuldeep Banjare, told ANI that the state force had worked with the STF and central security personnel in major anti-Naxal operations. He cited Hапatora, Abujhmad, Thulthuli and Operation Black Forest among the operations and locations associated with that joint effort.
These references indicate that the parade will highlight coordination between state police units and central forces, alongside the achievements of individual formations. The report, however, does not provide fresh operational figures, casualty totals or a district-by-district assessment of the insurgency’s current extent.
Women will feature in both the Chhattisgarh Police and CRPF contingents. Poornima Mandavi of Chhattisgarh Police said the women’s DRG contingent alone would comprise 144 personnel, while a woman officer said the CRPF formation would include sub-inspector Chhaya and other women personnel.
The cultural programme will give the event a civilian dimension through performances and participation by residents of affected districts. The reference to 126 districts concerns places that have experienced Naxalism at some point; it should not be read as a count of districts currently facing the same level of insurgent activity.
Fifteen tableaux are also planned, comprising five on national themes and 10 highlighting Gujarat. A motorcycle rally involving participants from all 36 states and Union territories, alongside central armed police forces, will carry a separate message promoting a drug-free India.
National Unity Day, also known as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, commemorates the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his contribution to India’s political integration. First observed in 2014, the annual occasion provides the setting for this year’s emphasis on internal security and the experiences of communities affected by Maoist violence.
The announced theme expresses the government’s objective of ending Naxalism, rather than constituting an independently verified declaration that the insurgency has been eliminated. As outlined in the report, the parade will showcase the forces’ achievements and operational experience, but it does not itself establish the present security situation across all affected areas.