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| China's twin message to the world |
| Thursday October 1, 2009 |
| Beijing, 9 pm local time Two days ago, the Met department had promised October 1 will be a sunny day and so it was. China combined the old fashioned pageantry with new-fangled weapons to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's republic on Thursday. Nuclear missile carriers, new generation tanks, rocket launchers and a display of ethnic unity. China went out of its way to send twin messages to the world: We have come a long way from our poverty-stricken past and we are not afraid to proclaim ourselves as a world power. President Hu Jintao, impassive as ever and riding a limousine, frequently greeted the people with "Hello Comrades." The selected party audience shouted back, "Hello commander." It was a hark back to the good old socialist days when comrades and the party had the primacy. Today, the importance of the party has not diminished but crony capitalism that has driven China for the past three decades rules the roost. Tens of thousands of school children formed a human screen as China's indigenously developed military weapons ranging from long-range nuclear missiles to fighter jets screamed past the Tiananmen square. thirty-thousands guests, some from African countries, others from the Asian neighbourhood were in attendance. But military muscle-flexing apart, China's rulers were also keen to stress on ethnic unity among the country's 56 minority groups and the majority Han Chinese so 56 floats that showcased different ethinicities were on display too. Although Tiananmen was crowded with 200,000 people, ordinary Beijing residents were told to stay indoors and watch the parade on television for security reasons. Journalists had to reach the venue four hours ahead of the scheduled start. So journos were at Tiananmen by 6 am groggy-eyed and resentful of the security restrictions. But a job is a job. No wonder at the end of the day, the media centre resembled a railway station waiting room or at best New Delhi rundown Indira Gandhi airport on the day of the strike by airlines pilots: overcrowded and littered with equipment, most bedraggled hacks struggling at the terminals, grabbing a bite here and a drink there in the middle of writing a copy or sending footage. We have still not finished and I am wondering how will Suresh cope the demands that Friday will bring. In Pics: China's new, big weapons In Pics: Celebration parade China at 60: Live blogs from Beijing |
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A student of conflicts, insurgencies and wars, Nitin Gokhale has spent 26 years reporting on military and militants from various hostile fields like India's north-east, Kashmir valley, the Kargil war, China and Sri Lanka, among others. He's currently NDTV's Defence and Strategic Affairs Editor.
