Veteran R-Day commentator Brig Sawant dies at 89, PM Modi offers condolences

NEW DELHI: Brig Chitranjan Sawant (retd), the voice of the Republic Day parade for almost five decades, was on Wednesday cremated at the Brar Square crematorium in Delhi Cantonment
He passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to the Sawant family and recalled how the brigadier’s “unforgettable voice” remained synonymous with the Republic Day parade and other ceremonies related to the armed forces.
“The deep sense of patriotism and national pride that could be felt in his voice, and the vast knowledge of the traditions of our Armed Forces, strategic and military affairs that his words encapsulated left everyone spellbound,” PM Modi wrote in a letter to the family.
Sawant’s first commentary at the parade was on January 26, 1973.