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Republic Day celebrated in grandeur every year with ceremonious parades at Rajpath in New Delhi, as well as celebrations across the country, marks the day when the Constitution of India came into effect. After gaining independence from the British on August 15, 1947, India was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations. The British monarch King George VI was still officially India’s head of state even though it was a fully independent sovereign state.
It was after the constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950 that India became a federal, democratic republic within the commonwealth, abolishing the monarchy.
After independence, the Constituent Assembly appointed the drafting committee, with Dr BR Ambedkar as its chairman, to draft the constitution. The drafting committee was tasked with framing the constitution which would be passed and accepted by the assembly.
The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 but brought it into effect on January 26, 1950.
The reason January 26 was picked as the day for the constitution to come into force is because in 1929, during the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress, where Jawaharlal Nehru was elected president, a resolution was passed demanding complete independence for the first time.
The day, 26 January, 1930 was declared as “Purna Swaraj Diwas” or Independence Day. However, it wasn’t until 1947 that the demand was to be met. To honour the significance of the first Independence Day, members of the constituent assembly decided to enforce the constitution on January 26, marking it as Republic Day.
Some Facts:
- In pre-independence era, January 26, 1930 was celebrated as India’s Independence Day or Purna Swaraj Day, the day India decided to fight for complete freedom. It later came to be celebrated as Republic Day in honour of the date on which the Constitution of India came into force, January 26, 1950. The Constitution then replaced the Government of India Act (1935) to become the governing document of India.
- January 26, 1950 also happens to be the day that Dr Rajendra Prasad was chosen as the first President of independent India.–
- Another memorable part of the Republic Day is that the Indian Air Force (which was ealier called Royal Indian Air Force) came into existence on the same day in the same year, January 26, 1950.
- Not many are aware that Republic Day celebrations actually go on for three days. The celebrations conclude with a military ceremony, called The Beating Retreat on January 29. On this day, the three armed forces and paramilitary forces march to the tunes of their bands.
- Our Constitution also happens to be the longest (with 448 articles) in the world. 12 Schedules, and 97 Amendments, and cannot be read in a single day.
- It took Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, also called the Architect of Indian Constitution, two years and 11 months to draft it. It is said, the Assembly gathered for 166 days spread over two years before the final version was formed. Leaders took the best aspects from other countries’ constitutions, like, for example, the concept of liberty, equality and fraternity came from the French constitution while the Five-Year Plans came from the USSR constitution, the idea of division of power between Union and State has been taken from the Canadian constitution, the directorial elements from the Constitution of Ireland, the emergency carriage system from German Constitution.
- The first copy of the constitution was not printed, rather it was handwritten (calligraphed) in English and Hindi. And they have kept in the library at the Parliament House, preserved in helium-filled cases. The original constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. It took him six months to finish the writing.
- Republic Day celebrations, as followed today, began in 1995, when the first parade was held in Rajpath, with Malik Gulam Mohammed, the first governor general of Pakistan, as the first chief guest of the parade.
- A Christian song, Abide with Me, is played at the Republic Day Parade as it is said to be one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite songs. –
- The President addresses the Republic Day, whereas the Prime Minister addresses the Independence Day. 21 gun salutes are given when the President of India hoists the national flagon Republic Day.
- Republic Day is also the day when deserving candidates are bestowed with bravery awards by the President of India. Veer Chakra, Maha Veer Chakra, Param Veer Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Ashoka Chakra are the awards that are giving away on this day.