Vivek Shukla
Like every year, today (January 29) when Rashtrapati Bhavan, South Block, North Block and other special government buildings are being decorated, this year’s Republic Day celebrations will conclude with the organization of Beating Retreat at Vijay Chowk. Will be done. The President, Prime Minister and dignitaries are present at the Beating Retreat. In the Beating Retreat, tunes of songs like ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ as well as ‘Jai Janmabhoomi’, ‘Hind Ki Sena’ and ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaaye Ja’ are heard. Hearing these tunes, the people present there become giddy. The Christian anthem ‘Abide with Me’ was removed from the Beating Retreat ceremony from 2022. In view of the efforts to further ‘Indianization’ in the army, this famous tune was replaced by the patriotic song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’. There was a lot of uproar when the tune of ‘Abide with Me’, one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite Christian hymns, was removed from the ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony. The tune of the very popular song ‘Saare Jahan Se Achcha…’ is definitely played in the Beating Retreat.
Beating Retreat Ceremony started in 1952
With the country becoming a republic in 1950, Republic Day celebrations started on 26 January. Beating retreat ceremony started in 1952. That means the beating retreat started two years after the Republic Day celebrations. Talking about the history of beating retreat, its practice is believed to be from the 17th century. It is believed that beating retreat dates back to the days when soldiers used to end the battle at sunset. With the sound of the bugle, the soldiers would stop fighting, collect their weapons and move away from the battlefield. This tradition was started by the British Army, which was adopted by the Indian Army after the country’s independence.
This was the form of beating retreat till 1960
In fact, until 1960, beating retreat ceremonies were not organized on a very large scale. At that time, bands of all three wings of the Indian Army used to play patriotic tunes in Vijay Chowk as well as Connaught Place. The event held at Connaught Place used to take place in a small park right in front of the Regal Building. Now car parking has been built on that park. In the early years of Beating Retreat, the audience was treated to patriotic tunes played under the leadership of army musicians like LB Gurung, FS Reid, H Joseph, Bachan Singh.
1961 was special for Beating Retreat
Of course, 1961 was special for Beating Retreat. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations that year. Her husband Prince Philip also came with her. That was probably the first and last time when foreign personalities who had come to participate in the Republic Day celebrations were also present as chief guests at the Beating Retreat. This year, French President Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. But he went back home before the beating retreat.
GA Roberts choreographed on Nehru’s request
Well, in 1961, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru instructed GA Roberts, head of the Military Music Department at the Army Headquarters, to prepare for the grand Beating Retreat Ceremony. Roberts, who belonged to the Anglo-Indian community of Delhi, did not disappoint Nehruji. He choreographed the beating retreat ceremony brilliantly.
Queen Elizabeth gave speech at Ramlila Maidan
During that visit, Queen Elizabeth had also addressed the people of Delhi in a function at Ramlila Maidan. Only then a platform was built there, from where leaders used to stand and give speeches. Queen Elizabeth also visited Delhi War Cemetery at Brar Square. There are hundreds of graves of warriors martyred in the first and second world wars. There are also graves of British soldiers belonging to the Gorkha Regiment in Delhi War Cemetery.
Like the Republic Day Parade, the waiting room for beating retreat is also there.
However, the format of the beating retreat did not change until 2016. Yes, after the year 2016, apart from the three wings of the army, the band of Delhi Police also joined the Beating Retreat. Then the flavor of Bollywood music also started being added to it. Former Deputy Army Chief Vijay Oberoi had also expressed his opposition to this change. He said that the beating retreat was being turned into a farce. Vijay Oberoi had one leg amputated in the 1965 war. In the years that followed, Gandhiji’s favorite bhajans also started being heard in the Beating Retreat Ceremony. It has to be admitted that after the Beating Retreat Ceremony, one starts feeling a sense of emptiness. Like the Republic Day parade, the country also starts waiting for it. After all, preparation for both these programs starts several months in advance.