The struggle of India against the rule of the Queen and the repressive British colonialism is well-known. As India gained its much sought independence in 1947, about two centuries after it was colonised, many leaders knew that independence from external rulers just wasn’t enough. People must have rights, duties and responsibilities to live respectable and dignified lives. Republic Day is celebrated as the day when India acquired a written Constitution and became an independent republic. This year, India celebrates 68 years of being a republic.
The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
The country celebrates the day with vigor and excitement. Especially in the Capital, the grand and colourful Republic Day parade is something that a lot of Indians gathered at the India Gate and Rajpath looks forward to seeing. The rich culture and heritage of India is celebrated along with the unity in its beautiful diversity.
Although these are facts that almost everybody knows, there are still a lot of things embedded in India’s history that many are yet to know.
Here are five interesting facts about Republic Day that many do not know of.
* 26 January was chosen to be observed as the Republic day because it was on this day in 1930 when the Indian National Congressdeclared Purna Swaraj or Indian independence from the British regime.
* To date, India has the longest written Constitution in the world. It has 448 articles in 22 Parts, 12 Schedules and 97 Amendments.
* There are two hand-written copies of the Constitution — in Hindi and in English. The copies are kept in helium filled cases in the Parliament’s library.
* Abide With Me, a Christian hymn is played at the end of the Republic Day ceremony every year. It is believed to be one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite songs.
* Our Constitution, that took Dr BR Ambedkar — Chairman of the Constitution Committee about two years and 11 months to make the first draft — was a work of inspiration. The five-year-plans were taken from the constitution of the USSR and concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity from the French constitution.
The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
The country celebrates the day with vigor and excitement. Especially in the Capital, the grand and colourful Republic Day parade is something that a lot of Indians gathered at the India Gate and Rajpath looks forward to seeing. The rich culture and heritage of India is celebrated along with the unity in its beautiful diversity.
Although these are facts that almost everybody knows, there are still a lot of things embedded in India’s history that many are yet to know.
Here are five interesting facts about Republic Day that many do not know of.
* 26 January was chosen to be observed as the Republic day because it was on this day in 1930 when the Indian National Congressdeclared Purna Swaraj or Indian independence from the British regime.
* To date, India has the longest written Constitution in the world. It has 448 articles in 22 Parts, 12 Schedules and 97 Amendments.
* There are two hand-written copies of the Constitution — in Hindi and in English. The copies are kept in helium filled cases in the Parliament’s library.
* Abide With Me, a Christian hymn is played at the end of the Republic Day ceremony every year. It is believed to be one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite songs.
* Our Constitution, that took Dr BR Ambedkar — Chairman of the Constitution Committee about two years and 11 months to make the first draft — was a work of inspiration. The five-year-plans were taken from the constitution of the USSR and concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity from the French constitution.
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