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NO.2140 - Indian "open-hanging" troops
Author: Mu Yipan
Draft: Chao Qian / Editor: Yakult
On 26 January 2022, India's 73rd Republic Day celebrations were held in Delhi. This year, due to the excessive smog in Delhi, the celebrations were postponed to 10:30 for the first time.
It's really smogy, and you can't see clearly without good eyes
(Photo: One Map Network)▼
In this "military parade", the Indian people did not live up to the title of "open and hanging nation", once again staged traditional arts, and attracted the attention of everyone with various incredible motorcycle stunt performances.
Due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the motorcycle stunt performance at last year's Republican Day celebration was cancelled, which disappointed the Indian people. Therefore, this year's performance is naturally highly anticipated.
Traditional arts must be pulled out and used
(Photo: shutterstock)▼
This year's performance was performed by the Indian Border Police Force (BSF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), with a lot of traditional shapes such as lifting high, turning in circles, stacking arhats, pyramids and so on.
It is worth noting that this performance reflects many elements of concern and protection of women's rights and interests, and the performance is first led by BSF's female soldiers, followed by the "Save the girls!" Let them read! The female soldiers with placard signs caught the audience's eyes.
This is in response to the repeated prohibition of female infanticide and women's right to education in India, which is sure to win the hearts of the women's community and is of great social significance.
Border women salute▼
Previously, India's "military parade" was often compared with the mainland's National Day military parade by many self-media accounts and became the object of group ridicule. The appearance of "juggling"-like motorcycle stunts on such a solemn occasion as a "military parade" seems out of place to many.
But there are deeper reasons behind it. Because in the hearts of the Indian people, the symbolism of stunt performances is extraordinary.
Let's run over it like a storm! - Noh Angel
"National Day Parade" or Carnival?
Many people often mistakenly refer to India's annual January military parade as a "National Day parade", but in fact, India does not have a real "National Day".
On August 15, 1947, India officially broke away from the United Kingdom and was divided between India and Pakistan, and Indians called this day "Independence Day".
January 26, 1950, the day India's first constitution came into force to replace the Government Act of 1935, which Indians refer to as "Republic Day".
Folk motorcycles celebrate India's "Independence Day" (Photo: shutterstock).▼
India's "Republic Day" official motorcycle array (photo: shutterstock)▼
The so-called "National Day military parade" in India is actually a Republican Day parade. The procession generally departs from the Presidential Palace of India and travels along the National Highway to the Gate of India.
The first half of the parade was generally serious, with the raising of the national flag, the playing of the national anthem, and the parade after the president's speech, and the phalanx of Indian soldiers and various weapons displays were concentrated in this link.
Raise the national flag and play the national anthem (photo: shutterstock).
The second half is relaxed and lively, and the Indian states show their culture and development in the form of float parades, which are usually accompanied by various songs and dances and national costumes. Towards the end of the parade, the motorcycle stunt show was expected in the hearts of the Indian people to appear as the finale.
Each state and state unit will build a float
Much like one float per province on the mainland
In addition, some of the seats will be open to the public during the Celebration of Republic Day in India, and willing spectators can purchase tickets to enter. Tickets for the Republic Day parade are only sold offline in a few places in Delhi, with prices ranging from 10-500 rupees, and tickets are often tight, and even if you wait in long queues for hours, you may face the embarrassment of selling out.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors to The Republic Day in India this year has been reduced to 24,000, of which 19,000 are invited by the government, and only 5,000 tickets are open to the public.
It can also be regarded as having fun with the social elite
(Photo: Reuters)▼
Overall, the overall atmosphere of the Indian Republican Day celebrations is relatively relaxed, which is different from the solemn atmosphere of the mainland National Day military parade. In particular, the mass parade in the second half was more like a grand carnival, and the motorcycle stunt performance pushed the emotions of the audience to the peak.
In the context of different national conditions, the existence of motorcycle stunts is not as strange as people think.
Pinching, with the feet is enough (photo: shutterstock)▼
The founding father was actually british?
The world always makes a fuss about India in motorcycle stunts, and Indians are the first to express dissatisfaction, in fact, this special performance has been inherited from the British.
In the First World War, the advent of radio communications partially changed the way of communication on the battlefield, but due to the poor stability of the emergence of new technologies, the transmission of information on the battlefield sometimes required manpower.
Unfortunately, this manpower dependence was still prevalent in World War II
(Pictured: Ivan's Childhood).▼
At this time, the application of the internal combustion engine provided an opportunity for the mechanization of the British army at that time. Motorcycles are faster and less labor-saving than bicycles, more cost-effective than mules and horses, have strong mobility, and can adapt to the complex terrain of the battlefield. Therefore, it became an important means of transportation for british communications forces in World War I.
The American Red Cross during World War I was on a motorcycle in Britain.com
This requires the communications officer to have a highly skilled motorcycle driving skill. In 1927, the Royal Signals specially established the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team, in which the riders were called Dispatch Riders. It was renamed the White Helmet in 1963.
The roots of Indian motorcycles, originally in the UK! (Photo: One Map Network)▼
The team not only has its own tour, but also performs publicly at events in the UK and other countries. At its peak, the White Helmets performed for more than 1 million people a year, setting three world records.
Directly opened and hung (picture: one map network) ▼
India, as a British colony, was also deeply influenced by this tradition. In 1935, British India formed a motorcycle stunt team called "daredevils" and trained according to the British army training program.
In March 1935, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the succession of George V and Queen Mary, the daredevils team presented their first performance in Shimla.
Unfortunately, the White Helmets show team was officially disbanded in 2017, and the British army said that this form of performance could no longer reflect the development of modern military communication technology, but this tradition has been continued in India to this day.
Wonderful pictures of 2016, nostalgia (disbanded in 2017)
In addition, the motorcycles used in the Republic Day parade in India are from Royal Enfield, a former British brand. Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world, and in the early years its factory produced gun parts for the British army, and later became a supplier of british military motorcycles during the First World War because of the reliable quality and trend-setting motorcycles it produced.
1913 Royal Enfield 425cc (Part 1)
1923 Royal Enfield 225cc (Part 2)
(Photo: wikipedia)▼
In 1931, the Royal Enfield four-valve single-cylinder motorcycle was officially released and named "Bullet", which subsequently became a special motorcycle for the Royal Signal Corps. After the war, royal Enfield was cold in sales in the country due to neglect of the civilian market.
In 1955, it partnered with Madras Motors in India to form Enfield India and built a factory in Tiruvottiyur near Madras, which has since entered the Indian market.
The Royal Enfield you see now is actually Indian
In 1967, Royal Enfield's factory in the UK was closed. By 1994, Eicher Group had formally acquired Enfield India Limited, transforming Royal Enfield into a local Indian brand.
Yes, royal orthodoxy in India (photo: shutterstock)▼
Today, Enfield motorcycles are not only used by the army and parades, but also appear in many Bollywood films, loved by the Indian people, and the once-popular British aristocratic brand has been revitalized in India.
Deeply integrated into the lives of the Indian people (Photo: shutterstock)▼
If you look closely at other parts of the Indian military parade, you will find a strong British color in terms of attire, etiquette, and regulations.
Britain's colonial rule in India for nearly a hundred years has brought modernization and unification to India, leaving behind the turmoil and scars of the partition of India and Pakistan, and also producing special cultural products of grafting, and motorcycle stunt performances are typical examples.
Look closely, ten thousand royal motorcycles are ready
Indians have played a new trick?
Early daredevils were affiliated with the Indian Signal Corps, which performed at grand events such as the Founder's Day Parade, the Republic Day Parade, the Asian Games, the Singapore Armed Forces Games, the Indian National Games, and broke the Guinness World Record more than a dozen times.
According to Indian media reports, the composition of motorcycle stunt performers participating in the Republican Day military parade is more diverse. In addition to the Signal Corps, the Border Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, and the Central Reserve Police Force under the Central Armed Police Force of India have all joined the motorcycle stunt show.
GDP can surpass the suzerainty, and motorcycles must be able to!
In addition, for the first time since 2018, women have joined the motorcycle stunt team, and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has formed a women's motorcycle stunt team called "Seema Bhavani" to perform separately with BSF's men's motorcycle team, Janbaz.
In 2019, 28-year-old Shikha Surbhi served as an aide-de-camp, leading a procession of 33 men to the Republic Day parade. In 2020, a 65-member team of all-female riders from India's Central Reserve Police Force took part in the parade.
Seriously, the performance is quite beautiful
（图：Hindustan Times）▼
Joining the stunt team is not an easy task, and Daredevil's selection criteria are very high. According to Shikha Surbhi, joining daredevil requires passing tough tests, including jumping obstacles, bunkers, etc., and she herself has been selected after several consecutive auditions.
In addition, according to former daredevil captain Avadhut Deshpande, although the stunts always seem to be repetitive, in fact, the team's training is arduous and intensive, and injuries are inevitable. Each member must not only master the driving skills, but also understand the construction and maintenance methods of the motorcycle.
At the end of the world, people and cars are one (pictured: shutterstock).
To participate in grand events such as military parades, training and rehearsals are also required months in advance. For example, for the 2022 Republican Day parade performance, all the staff began to prepare for training from around August 2021.
In terms of stunt movements, Indians did not let themselves stand still in the British stereotypes, but combined with traditional Indian culture to create many new tricks, incorporating yoga movements into them, and even each movement has its own name.
Motorcycle + Yoga▼
List of Blue Out of Blue Skills▼
Why do Indians retain this traditional skill?
The overall atmosphere of the Indian military parade is more relaxed, motorcycle stunts are not abrupt in it, we can also understand it as another form of "cultural troupe" performance, and there is not much practical value.
The former captain of daredevil also said that "this team performed various stunts at the Republic Day parade and events across the country to entertain the army and the people". The Indian soldiers' drilling circles and stacking arhats may be like the dragon dance and lion dance when we celebrate the festival, and different cultures and historical soils have bred different forms of cultural expression.
These arts may seem to us to be acrobatics
But in India, there is a deep folk foundation
Acting can also be regarded as derived from the fact that life is higher than life
From the perspective of the purpose of holding the military parade, it is nothing more than to show military strength to the outside world, play a deterrent role, report the achievements of military construction internally, and unite the people and unite people's hearts. As the highlight of the parade in the second half, the main focus of motorcycle stunts is obviously on the inside.
In addition to inheriting the tradition of British colonists, motorcycle stunts also embody the recognized military spiritual value orientation of Indians - courage and sacrifice (साहस, शौर्य और बललिन).
In ancient India, there were Rajputs known for their bravery and good war, and ancient military traditions have made many contributions to the construction of the spirit of the modern Indian army. Today, courage is often used in the propaganda discourse of Indian officials and media.
In July 2020, Modi gave a speech to the Indian Armed Forces in Leh, emphasizing the importance of courage for the army and soldiers throughout, with the word for courage appearing nearly 30 times.
In india's speech on the Founding Day, Modi and the home secretary also mentioned "courage and sacrifice" many times. In the Indian media report on the motorcycle stunt performance team, many praised it for its easy completion of difficult and technical actions, and its heroic and fearless quality was fascinating.
Still quite domineering (pictured: shutterstock)▼
In addition, Indian troops responsible for patrolling and fighting in the border area will also participate in motorcycle stunts, and these troops are all involved in the india-Pakistan and China-India border operations.
For example, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) is involved in the 2020 Sino-Indian conflict in the Galwan Valley. Against the backdrop of nationalist sentiment and anti-China public opinion in India, the performances brought by border soldiers can greatly stimulate the national pride and patriotism of Indians.
For the audience, the motorcycle performance in the Republican Day parade is both entertaining and in line with traditional values, and can find a home for their nationalist feelings.
For performers, becoming a part of the motorcycle performance team can not only meet their own pursuits, but also gain the applause, cheers and respect of countless people. Taken together, it is not surprising that the so-called "opening and hanging" of the Indian military parade is not surprising.
Give a salute to the royal "open hanging" troops (photo: one picture network)▼
*The content of this article is provided by the author and does not represent the position of the Earth Knowledge Bureau
Cover: shutterstock
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