Has the Republic Day relapsed into a hollow show of drill, dance and defense, or does it have value for India? Just spare a thought about what you do on 26 January – is it just an annual holiday you look forward to?
Each year, India’s sumptuous Republic Day parade is preceded by days of patriotic fervor on the streets of states; with hawkers selling you national flags at crossings, and weeks of grueling practices and rehearsals for the participants. The residents of the city and the police force may have something to grouse about; their life is out of joint for the duration and heightened security intrudes everywhere. But what does it all mean? Does the Republic Day still have any significance today?
Window To Past
Although we officially achieved dependence from the hands of British by 1947, but there was no law to govern us. It was indispensable to ordain certain laws for our land to make a habitable society. Consequently, 26 January 1950 was the day when the Constitution of India was put into action. The Constitution was outlined with Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar heading as the chairman of the Drafting Committee. It was not a clear-cut exercise to put in writing the law that could be accepted by the diversity of India. The procedure started on 4 November 1947, when the first draft of the Constitution was submitted to the Assembly. It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days with 166 open public sessions, for the assembly to adopt the final Constitution. This set of rules and regulations was passed as the law of the land on 26 November 1949 and were brought to complete effect on 26 January 1950. As such, this day is marked as the freedom attained in its entirety to the nation.
Coming to the present, every year, we Indians rejoice Republic Day with a great deal of enthusiasm and cores of rupees are spent in the celebration. Now it’s time to review and analyze the nature of the celebration. To what extent it is contributing towards promoting nationalism in India?
The best possible method of serving the nation today is spreading peace and harmony, following laws and not allowing crime to happen.
Republic Day has turned out to be solely a holiday to a greater part of us. To the utmost the Republic Day is an act to observe the ‘parade’ on TV along with sips of morning tea and I have not been doing even that for last few years. If it would have been some other special day, we would be greeting our friends, family and close ones. But no enthusiasm is there for this vital day.
If we recall, the importance of this day was very much during our school days. The groundwork for the day’s events used to begin several days earlier. Somehow we were connected to day and in turn some thoughts were put towards nation. But gradually, the situation started changing. And now wretchedly the day has lost magnitude in our lives. We are not concerned about the day apart from the fact it’s a holiday and an opportunity to relax and enjoy. The consequence of the celebration cannot be ignored. The states take the opportunity to exhibit its defense power to the masses. And the masses get a definite day devoted for the nation. It’s time to think, what more we can do on this day.
Hereafter I shall endeavor to accomplish some duties towards nation and I expect the same from others. The best possible method of serving the nation today is spreading peace and harmony, following laws and not allowing crime to happen. As we can see for ourselves, the crime graph is increasing day in and day out. And help those who need help and add to complete growth.
Besides this, let us maintain our cities clean so that we don’t feel mortified when an outsider comes to our cities. Let no one take an opportunity to aim a finger at something ghastly occurring in some parts of country. It all seems day dreaming but at least put a step ahead, if we can’t complete the walk. It resonates an exciting feeling to gift the nation. Like Dr. Kalam building our own India 2020 vision. Let’s think for at least one day about our nation to rest.
We are currently surrounded with plenty of problems and many programs are conducted for creating awareness, for example on HIV/AIDS smoking etc. In the same way, the Republic Day can also be celebrated for national interest to eradicate corruption in India. According to us Only promotion of nationalism can eradicate corruption from India.
At present, the country is dealing with innumerable problems. Corruption is rampant; if this condition perseveres then our very existence would be jeopardized. As accountable citizens of this country, we must take this rather sternly step and strive to unmask a solution to it; only then shall we be able to make our country ideal and prosperous. The foremost cause behind this problem is lack of the national pride in us. So let us make a resolution that, ‘from today onwards, every action on my part will be such that it will awaken the sense of patriotism in me as well as all those around me.’
But the tragic part is that we have all studied the definition of a Republic in Civics. Republic is a nation ‘of the people’, ‘by the people’ and ‘for the people’. But friends, do you feel that ours is a republic? Is it really for the people? No, is it not? On the occasion of Republic Day, let us contemplate on the reasons behind this depressing state.
Really Heart-touching !!!