US President Barack Obama’s visit to India on the occasion of Republic Day has turned on the heat in the country. Obama will be the first US President to be chief guest at the Republic Day. US first lady Michelle Obama will also accompany the US President on his visit to India. For Obama’s visit, security in the national capital has been beefed up. Indian security officials are working in tandem with US security authorities to ensure a safe and secure turf for the US President. Weather may not fully co-operate but arrangements are expected to cater to contingency plans for rain. Cold conditions with fog are expected to prevail during Obama’s visit to the capital.
Meanwhile, a no-fly zone has been put in place around Rajpath for January 26, meaning no drones will be permitted in the air space. The American security agencies were worried about a flying object being used as a weapon and hence had requested for a no-fly zone. Also, some 71 high rise buildings in and around Rajpath will be partly or completely shut down for security purposes. At least 165 CCTV cameras have been installed at Rajpath and more cameras are being installed on the route on which Obama will travel. A seven-layer security ring will en-wrap the VVIP enclosure. Obama’s dog ‘officers’ have already landed in the capital and are sniffing around for trouble. All airports, sea lanes, and border areas have also been put on high alert.
In addition to all this, a multi-agency control room will monitor the surveillance operations in all areas of the capital. Key buildings overlooking Rajpath will nest snipers and SP Marg which, will be used by Barack Obama, will be sanitized by security forces. Additionally, in order to ensure that no overcrowding takes place, only 1:25 times extra passes will be issued this year against previous years, when three times extra passes were issued. Moreover, security on the national border has also been stepped up, with the Border Security Force (BSF) deploying at least 12 additional companies amidst concerns of dense fog and infiltration attempts by militants from across the Indo-Pak border.
Obama’s visit to India on the occasion of Republic Day holds great prominence in terms of Indo-US diplomatic relations. The United States even issued a subtle warning to Pakistan against terror strikes during the US President’s visit to India. Narendra Modi’s ‘Act East’ policy has surely won hearts in the White House with India finally pushing back against China. Deepening Indo-US ties are being termed as the key to strengthening India’s role as a reliable global provider and protector in all of Asia.
However, the flip-side is not so convincing. India is spending limitless time, money, and valuable resources to prove its point as a good and welcoming host. A total of 15,000 CCTVs have been put in place in almost no time. The misguided efficiency has been heavily criticized by the High Court as despite several rapes and other criminal activities, no weight-age was given to installation of CCTV cameras for the security of Delhiites. All said and done, India will look to juice out maximum benefit from Obama’s visit to India. One can only hope that the high-spirited ‘pricey’ visit yields something productive for the Modi government.
