Republic of India Day Parade 2025: Pride and Hope of the Indonesian Contingent
(Para perwakilan Indonesia, termasuk Genderang Suling Canka Lokananta (GSCL) dan pasukan defile TNI, mencuri perhatian masyarakat dengan kekompakan dan keunikan atribut mereka.)
Dipublikasikan pada Minggu, 26 Januari 2025ย
The roar of drums, the waving of flags, and resolute steps color the Republic of India Day Parade at Kartavya Path, New Delhi, on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Among the Indian contingent, there was also an Indonesian contingent who was in the spotlight and brought the spirit of friendship and honor at the invitation from the Indian government.
With a composition of 352 members, this is the largest delegation invited in the history of the commemoration of India’s Republic Day. Indonesian representatives, including the Canka Lokananta Flute Drum (GSCL) and the TNI defile troops, stole the public’s attention with their cohesiveness and unique attributes.
Sergeant Major Two Cadets (Sermadatar) Lintang Myzard from the Magelang Military Academy proudly led GSCL as Penatarama 1. The song Maju Tak Gentar performed by GSCL is a symbol of Indonesia’s spirit of struggle in the eyes of the world.
“I am very proud of my alma mater, especially the Military Academy representing many academies or drumsticks in Indonesia. I am quite memorable in my life, maybe it can’t be repeated a second time,” said Lintang.
Intensive training carried out for more than a month, both in Magelang and Cilodong, yielded results with stunning performances. According to Lintang, the biggest challenge for GSCL is the temperature difference.
“In Indonesia, the temperature is 28 degrees, 30 degrees. In India it is quite cold maybe because it is winter, 5 degrees to 10 degrees in the morning, so it is a bit of a shock for us but we were able to cope quickly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Joshua Mahulette, Platoon Commander of the defile troops, expressed his pride in being able to appear directly in front of President Prabowo, PM Modi, and President Murmu. In fact, he said that the parade was a historic moment.
“Personally, I am very proud because this is the first time in Indonesia’s history that an invited person has even reached approximately 352 people. This is even the most as long as India invites other countries. So this is a pride and an honor for me,” said Joshua.
Joshua also shared that the defile squad had been training for three months to ensure perfect pace, tempo, and harmony. According to Joshua, the Indonesian contingent has its own attraction for the Indian people.
“The Indian army has a lot of trinkets, right? Now when we perform, we give them what they want, Lokananta knick-knacks starting from the tenor using tigers, bussdrums using tigers, drums, belira all kinds with their own uniqueness,” he said proudly.
For Sermadatar Tasya Putri Dwifina from the Magelang Military Academy, the pride of being part of GSCL is not only felt personally, but also as a contribution to bilateral relations between Indonesia and India. Tasya also highlighted the technical challenges in playing the song Maju Tak Gentar with a tempo of 120 beats per minute to adjust to the tradition of the Indian parade.
“From hard training, from our daily training and continuous training, we can keep up,” he said gratefully.
The three Indonesian representatives also expressed their gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto for the attention and support given. They hope to get more similar opportunities and moments in the future.
“For President Prabowo Subianto, I hope that in the future there will be many events like this to strengthen relations between countries, bilateral relations,” said Joshua.
With the spirit of pride and friendship, the Indonesian contingent managed to present its best performance, bringing the nation’s name to be increasingly respected in the international arena. This Indian Republic Day parade is proof that hard work, careful preparation, and collaboration can bring brilliant achievements.
(BPMI Presidential Secretariat)
