Being a Republic
S. THEODORE BASKARAN
|
On January 26, 1950, India became a Republic. What does this mean?
|
India is the largest democracy in the world.
PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY
AN IDEAL STATE: Ruled by the people.
After India gained Independence from the British rule, our leaders set to work to prepare a Constitution, on the basis of which our country would be governed. With Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister, the Law Minister B.R. Ambedkar was given the work of writing the Constitution.
Equality for all
For this work, the Constituent Assembly was formed. Many leaders from all over India were in this assembly. It completed the work after three years. When we as a nation accepted the new Constitution and put it into use, our country became a Republic.
On January 26, 1950, two-and-a-half years after Independence, India became a Republic. The idea of the Republic is taken from a book by the same name by Greek philosopher Plato in which he describes an ideal state, ruled by the people. Every single citizen got the right to vote, making our country the largest democracy in the world. On the first Republic Day, Nehru told his countrymen: "We are fortunate to witness the emergence of the Republic of India and our successors may well envy us this day: but fortune is a hostage which has to be zealously guarded by our own good works and which has a tendency to slip away if we slacken our efforts."
Though the Indian republic is only 56 years old, our history goes back to 5,000 years. However, our society contained many injustices and some people were oppressed and denied equal rights over centuries. Millions suffered due to caste differences. Our Constitution aims at removing these wrongs. Taking into consideration that our country has people of different faiths it declares that India will be a secular republic.
On the day our country became a Republic, national emblems were also announced. The figure of seated lions is from a Buddhist monument in Sarnath. This lion sculpture originally formed the top portion of a pillar, which contained emperor Ashoka's message to people. The wheel at the centre of our national flag, the Dharma chakra, is also from the same sculpture. The three words, Satyameva jeyathe, that are found in Mundukya Upanishad, were chosen as the national motto.
* * *
Commemoration
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in New Delhi. The different regiments of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The parade also includes vibrant displays and floats and traditionally ends with a flypast by Indian Air Force jets.
Celebrations, though on a much smaller scale, are also held in State capitals, where the Governor unfurls the national flag.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
