'Abide With Me' to feature at Beating Retreat ceremony

January 24, 2020 08:45

An army handout on the programme for the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29 has ended the uncertainty over the performance of Abide With Me during the ceremony.

Reports suggested that the government was considering dropping the melancholic Christian hymn, a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi. The army did not comment on these reports at the time.

However, its handout says it will feature Indias national song Vande Mataram and Abide With Me.

The ceremony usually ends with the hymn.

In an anticipated change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial for the first time before the Republic Day parade begins, said Major General Alok Kacker, the second-in-command of the parade. The wreath used to be placed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti. The PM inaugurated the memorial last February.

The defence minister, the minister of state for defence, the chief of defence staff, the three service chiefs and the defence secretary will also be present at the memorial. This will be the first RD parade for General Bipin Rawat as CDS.

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