President uses attendance at Republic Day celebrations to woo Narendra Modi as part of US’s security rebalancing towards AsiaThe first American president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations was greeted by an array of Russian weaponry on Monday as the lengthy martial parade underscored how far the US has to go in its efforts to become Delhi’s preferred new military partner.Just one day after agreeing an ambitious defence co-operation agreement with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, Barack Obama arrived in the pouring rain as a fly-by of Russian-made Mil helicopters heralded a two-hour procession led by cold war-era tanks and armoured personnel carriers.