Thailand’s first woman Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, one of the youngest foreign dignitaries invited by India as chief guest of the 63rd Republic Day parade, added further glory to the colourful celebrations in the national capital.
The 44-year-old Thai Prime Minister is the fourth leader from Asia to grace the republic Day celebrations as the chief guest in the past four years, signalling the importance India attaches to the region.
In 2009, Kazakistan President Nursultan Nazar Bayev was the chief guest at the celebrations while South Korean President Lee Myung Bak graced the occasion in 2010. Last year, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was the chief guest.
Clad in an off-white jacket and beige long skirt, Ms Shinawatra came to Rajpath with President Pratibha Patil, escorted by the horse-mounted presidential bodyguards. Upon being received by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the VVIP enclosure at the Rajpath, Ms Shinawatra greeted him with a “namaste”. She bowed and greeted the other guests at the enclosure before taking her seat beside the Prime Minister and vice-president Hamid Ansari. The former businesswoman, who became the third woman leader to be the chief guest at the country’s Republic Day celebrations, was an ardent spectator as she could be seen paying attention to each of the various tableaux and marching contingents. She was seen clapping during the performances by schoolchildren, the motorcycle display and the magnificent fly past by the Indian Air Force. She was also seen talking to the President and Prime Minister at the end of the parade by the defence forces.
Ms Shinawatra arrived here on Tuesday and is accompanied by a high-level ministerial delegation, senior officials and a business delegation.
She became the Prime Minister of Thailand in August last year and is the youngest person in Thailand to hold the office in over 60 years. She has a Master’s degree in politics from Kentucky State University in the US.