A reason to celebrate

Republic Day is the moment in history when India got its constitution, making it a republic and sovereign state.

Most people know that India celebrates its Republic Day every January 26. However, the significance of the date and the ceremony and meaning of the day are not known to most people, including many Indians.

Though India attained independence on August 15, 1947 there was no constitution, parliament and legal system in place to govern the country. The process of drafting a constitution had begun in 1946 with the formation of the constituent assembly with representatives of various political parties, people from different regions and interests.

However, with partition and other chaos, the final constituent assembly comprised 207 people representing the diverse interests of the various regions including 15 women forming a committee to draft the constitution.

The final draft of the Indian Constitution was approved and adopted only in 1949 and it came into effect on January 26, 1950, making India a republic and sovereign nation. Until then, the Constituent Assembly functioned as India's first Parliament.

January 26, 1948 was initially announced as the date of the Indian subcontinent's independence from British rule. However, Britain advanced it to August 15, 1947 when it became aware that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was dying of tuberculosis and the partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan wouldn't be possible if he was dead or if Jinnah himself knew he only had a few months to live.

The other significance of the date is that it was on the same day in 1927 at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress that the freedom fighters, who had until then been in favour of India being a dominion of Great Britain, passed a resolution voting overwhelmingly in favour of complete independence from Britain. This was the date when freedom fighters across the subcontinent pledged to make the Indian subcontinent a sovereign democratic republic and hoisted the flag for the first time.

Those present at the meeting pledged to mark this day each year as Independence Day to remind themselves of their pledge to fight to realise their dream of independence.

On India being officially declared a republic, the constitution provided for a federal merger of states and a parliamentary system, and included a list of fundamental rights.

The president became a constitutional head, acting, except in national emergencies, on the advice of ministers responsible to the legislature. The government would be formed by direct election of representatives to the Indian parliament, with a distribution of powers between the central and state governments. This marks the significance of Republic Day.

India's Independence Day celebrations are chaired by the Prime Minister, reminding people of the sacrifices of freedom fighters and how they succeeded in making India the first democratic country to achieve independence from foreign rule using non-violent means.

Republic Day, on the other hand, is celebrated by taking a solemn oath to uphold the Indian Constitution by the people as the president leads the ceremony. It is a joyous day marked by a lack of oration, with more emphasis on its people who celebrate the diversity of India and renew the pledge to uphold the constitution.

Republic Day is celebrated at all levels of government administrative divisions in India, including state capitals, district headquarters, taluks and village panchayats. The major ceremonies are held at the nation's capital, New Delhi, and the state capitals chaired by the president and governor of the state, respectively, as they are the constitutional heads.

Republic Day is also celebrated in schools, colleges and government institutions across India with the flag hoisting ceremony and singing of the national anthem.

Main ceremony

In New Delhi, the festivities are made more marked starting with a sombre homage to Amar Jawan Jyoti (Unknown Soldier memorial) at India Gate followed by the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Raj Ghat to pay respects to the Father of the Nation.

The main ceremony is the Republic Day Parade. A foreign dignitary (usually the head of a nation or an internationally renowned person such as the UN Secretary General) is invited to be the chief huest of honour.

The president greets the chief guest and takes him/her to the Red Fort where the president hoists the national flag, after which the national anthem is sung, followed by a 21-gun salute to the flag. The president who is also head of the armed forces under the Constitution honours the soldiers for bravery and their families in case the soldier died defending the sovereignty of India. This is followed by a military parade of all three wings of the armed forces — the army, navy and air force.

This is followed by a march-past of the paramilitary, National Cadet Corps and schoolchildren. Then there is the cultural procession of floats and a representation parade and pageant from the various states, showcasing and celebrating Indian diversity and cultural heritage. Children selected for their feats of unusual bravery from across the nation irrespective of region, religion, gender, language or economic status then arrive on elephants and receive bravery awards.

The ceremony concludes with helicopters showering rose petals on the chief guest and the people gathered to watch the parade. In the afternoon, sports events take place.

The Republic Day celebration officially comes to a close on January 29 when the national flag is lowered to the tune of the national anthem at 6pm ending with the illumination of 1,000 bulbs in the Rashtrapathi Bhavan and adjoining buildings.