US President Barack Obama gives a thumbs-up to BSF 'Janbaz' team's daredevil stunts

NEW DELHI: It took Ram Shankar Buddha and his family of 10 more than two days to reach New Delhi from his village in Nepal, but they made it just in time for the Republic Day parade on Monday. The long, arduous journey was undertaken with the sole motive of seeing India’s PM, Narendra Modi.

“He is a hero in our country,” said the 49-year-old, whose family is on a four-day visit and is staying in a lodge near the New Delhi railway station. Catching a glimpse of his hero, however, wasn’t easy as Modi, dressed in a black safari suit and a multi-coloured bandhej safa and watched the parade along with President Pranab Mukherjee and US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle from a bullet-proof dais amid unprecedented security.

Although the purpose of his visit was defeated, Buddha gave every impression of having enjoyed himself. The audience’s enthusiasm, like Buddha’s, was a stark contrast to the dreary weather which threatened to curtail the parade and airshow. Obama’s attendance, described as “an honour for every Indian” by the announcer, only helped sustain the excitement for two whole hours.

The Rajpath, in fact, witnessed a nationalistic surge of sorts on Monday morning. Despite the rains, families started pouring in as early as 7 am, three hours ahead of the scheduled parade.

The tough security checks upon arrival, too, could not dampen their spirits. A sullen Rakhi Banerjee (18), who had her lip balm and pen confiscated by the security personnel, got over her loss as soon as she heard the 21-gun salute. “Honestly, it was worth it,” she said after the parade.

The audience chanted “Modi, Modi” when the PM arrived dot on time for the parade, cheered when the Obamas entered in their special armoured car, clapped hard when the women’s contingent of all three armed forces, in a first, marched down the rainsoaked Rajpath and whistled when the fighter jets tore through the skies during the grand finale.

The Obamas were at their spontaneous best and gave every impression of enjoying themselves as they watched the display of India’s military power and cultural diversity mounted on a series of floats. Barack Obama, who is the first US President seemed mighty impressed with the BSF daredevils who got a thumbs up from him as they performed death-defying stunts.