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NEW DELHI : India imposed a security clampdown in New Delhi and other major cities Tuesday for its 60th Republic Day celebrations, which have been shadowed by fears of militant attacks.
"We are not taking any chances," New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said as armed personnel turned the Indian capital into a virtual fortress, sealing off the central site of the annual military parade.
Security check points were set up from midnight Monday on access roads to the wider metropolitan area, with all vehicles searched before being allowed into the city.
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak is the guest of honour at the parade, which showcases India's latest military hardware acquired as part of a massive modernisation drive costing tens of billions of dollars.
Security was especially tight this year, following a series of incidents and alerts.
On Friday, India stepped up airport security and warned its embassies in neighbouring countries of possible passenger plane hijacking attempts by Islamic militants, following Western intelligence tip-offs.
Last week's raid by Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers in the heart of the Afghan capital Kabul also set alarm bells ringing, with its strong echoes of the 2008 militant attacks on India's financial capital Mumbai.
Around 15,000 police and paramilitary personnel were to be deployed on the eight-kilometre (five-mile) parade route, along with anti-aircraft guns, snipers and mobile hit squads, officials said.
Celebrations are held across the country, and similar measures were enforced in major cities like Mumbai and separatist-prone regions in northeast India and Kashmir.
Security officials in Kashmir said Monday they had uncovered a large cache of arms and explosives that were to be used in a Republic Day attack.
The navy and coast guard were also placed on alert, while security concerns even saw federal troops deployed at the Taj Mahal, local police chief Aditya Mishra said in the northern town of Agra.
Republic Day marks the date in 1950 when India's new constitution came into effect. India gained independence from Britain in 1947, but went through a transitional phase when it was still classed as a dominion.
The 60th anniversary comes as India is emerging as an increasingly powerful economic and diplomatic player, but some used the occasion to highlight domestic concerns over unemployment, poverty, healthcare and social inequality.
"After 60 years, many of the issues that concern policy-makers and the people are the same," Abhijit Sen of India's policy-making Planning Commission said in comments published Monday.
"Agriculture is still crucial... export-import is still a concern and poverty is still a big issue," the government economist said.
Although 60 percent of India's 1.1 billion population still depend on the farm sector for their livelihood, the contribution of agriculture to gross domestic product has dropped from 53 percent in 1950 to 21 percent in 2008.
"This has led to a burgeoning crisis," The Times of India newspaper said in a Republic Day feature on six decades of growth.
"Speculation on (food) supply constraints is leading to sky-high prices for consumers and per capita foodgrain availability has shrunk to what it was three decades ago," The Times said.
"We also celebrate the growing spread of technology in the country, and the slow but steady spread of education and health. But much remains to be done to wipe out malnutrition and disease to ensure dignity of a decent livelihood," it added.
- AFP /ls
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