Indian Republic Day: Everything To Know About India’s Path To Freedom

1 year ago / by Richa Sharma
Indian Republic Day
Image credits: News 18

India observes Republic Day on January 26 with a parade and a homage to the Indian armed services. Special commemorations on this anniversary are important since it is on this date that the Indian Constitution was finished. Without it, India would not be the wonderful nation it is today.

Republic Day commemorates the ratification of India’s Constitution and the country’s transition to republic status on January 26, 1950. Each year, the day is celebrated with great military and cultural splendour. Armed forces members parade through New Delhi’s Rajpath in an impressive demonstration of military strength. On this auspicious day, the enormous display on Rajpath trumps anything else occurring around the nation.

What Day Of The Year Is India’s Republic Day?

Every year, January 26 is observed as Indian Republic Day.

What Is India’s Republic Day?

Indian Republic Day

India attained independence from Britain on August 15, 1947 (marked as a separate national holiday). However, the country was mostly controlled for the first three years under the colonial Government of India Act of 1935. Republic Day has been one of three national holidays in India, commemorating the introduction of the Indian Constitution on January 26, 1950.

Soon after independence was achieved, a constituent assembly chosen by provincial legislatures set about crafting the new nation’s Constitution. After more than two years, India’s Constitution was finished, cementing the country’s autonomous democratic governance. January 26 was selected as the official implementation date in recognition of the Indian National Congress’s Purna Swaraj (full self-rule) declaration of independence in 1930 — widely regarded as the first tangible step towards freedom from Britain.

As per the prelude of the 1950 constitution, the nation was renamed the Republic of India — a “sovereign socialist, secular democratic republic” that “secures to all its citizen’s justice, freedom, equality, and fraternity.”

History Of Indian Republic Day

India had several challenges and tribulations on its path to prosperity before reaching the point where individuals were granted independence. India has seen it all, from being dominated by Muslim Mughal kings to being ruled by the British. Given the country’s many hardships, the formation of the Constitution in 1950 was a source of immense pride. This is the day commemorated as Republic Day today.

It all began in 1947 when India declared its independence from the British Empire. A draft Constitution was produced and presented to the Constituent Assembly in November 1947. Nevertheless, it took the Assembly nearly two years of debate and amendments to finish the Constitution – all sessions were open to the public.

Additionally, on November 26, 1949, the Assembly accepted the Constitution, although it did not take effect immediately. The charter articles were signed on January 24, 1950, and the nation’s Constitution took effect on January 26, 1950. It was also the day Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, took office. When the Constitution took effect, it also repealed the Government of India Act, establishing India as a republic. Today is Republic Day, commemorating the day when democracy and justice were chosen to govern the country. This is precisely what many dictatorship-ruled nations lack.

Significance Of Indian Republic Day

India’s Constitution, which was officially enacted in 1950, took over as the country’s governing document from the British colonial Government of India Act (1935).

The Preamble to the Indian Constitution – a declaration outlining the Constitution’s fundamental ideas – took force on January 26, 1950. This brought the country’s transition to a sovereign republic to a conclusion. The Constitution outlines essential rights that all people should enjoy regardless of their political opinions. Additionally, it defines certain vital responsibilities for all people of the nation.

Importance Of Indian Republic Day

Indian Republic Day
Image credits: Dawn

It commemorates the document that laid the country’s foundations.

Republic Day should be commemorated to remind people of the labour that went into the Constitution’s development. It is a watershed moment in history and teaches several educational lessons to children.

It reaffirms the critical nature of law and order.

Without law and order and a functioning judiciary system, the nation would disintegrate. Republic Day serves as a reminder that pursuing justice is a worthwhile endeavour and that the fate of a country is at stake.

It is a celebration of democracy.

India’s Republic Day also honours the value of democracy. This is the only option for the world to prevent human rights abuses. This is critical because countless nations have suffered under military control in the past, and we must guarantee that each country continues on the road to democracy.

How is Republic Day observed in India?

The holiday’s centrepiece is a large parade in New Delhi’s capital, featuring cultural, historical, and military demonstrations. Before the march, the prime minister will lay a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, an arched war monument, and observe a minute of silence in memory of slain troops.

Smaller parades, cultural events, public festivities, and private parties occur throughout the nation since most businesses, schools, and government offices are closed. The celebrations conclude on January 29 with the Beating Retreat Ceremony in New Delhi, featuring bands from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.

FAQs About Indian Republic Day

What is the complete form of the word republic?

A republic (from the Latin res publica ‘public business’) is a system of government in which the people and their chosen representatives exercise “supreme authority.” Contemporary republicanism has evolved into the polar opposite of monarchy, and so a modern republic lacks a monarch as head of state.

What is the world’s oldest republic?

San Marino claims to be the world’s earliest constitutional republic, established on September 3, 301 by Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason escaping Roman Emperor Diocletian’s religious persecution. San Marino’s Constitution, which dates back to 1600, is the world’s oldest surviving written Constitution.

Why are nations referred to be republics?

Republic, type of governance in which citizens’ representatives control a state. Republics are differentiated from direct democracy because people do not run the state directly but via representatives, albeit current representative democracies are mostly republics.

How many of the world’s nations are republics?

Since 2017, 159 of the globe’s 206 sovereign states have the term “republic” in their official designations.

Conclusion

Now that you know everything about Indian Republic Day, it’s time to get ready to celebrate this festival with a lot of pomp and love! For more blogs about popular Indian festivals, keep reading Seema!