`Shakti', a new composition by Nazir Hussain in recognition of the May tests, was part of the quick march segment by the Military Bands conducted by Subedar Major Nabin Lama of the Parachute Regiment. But the stands for junior commissioned officers (JCOs), jawans and their counterparts in the Navy and Air Force remained empty.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) did not issue around approximately 4,000 passes meant for families of JCOs, non commissioned officers (NCOs), jawans and their counterparts in the other two services denying them the opportunity to see the ceremony and the lighting of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the North and South Blocks today.

``And all this because of a new rule this Republic day. Earlier passes for Captains of the Navy, Group Captains, Colonels and below were issued by the services headquarters. But this year the MoD decided to take over the task for security reasons,'' confided an official of the Naval Headquarters.

``Due to space constraints at Vijay Chowk everybody cannot be called the same day unlike on Republic Day. Therefore for Beating Retreat, the passes are staggered over three days for officers, JCOs and other ranks. But this time for some reason we did not get the passes in time for the JCOs and jawans and equivalents,'' said an officer of the Headquarters Delhi Area.

The scintillating music that filters through the Raisina hill played by 30 bands of the three services is awesome and there is always a queue to watch the buglers sounding the Retreat. A total of 600 army men participate in the Beating Retreat along with another 150 from the Navy and the Air Force.

One officer said: ``But it is indeed sad that despite the Chief of Army Staff (General Ved Prakash Malik) having declared 1999 as the Year of the Jawan , the Jawan was kept out of the parade.'' However, none of the officers were willing to come on record on why the stands meant for JCOs and jawans were totally empty.