At the outset, let me wish every one a very 'Happy 73rd Republic Day' on this auspicious day - 26 Jan 2022.
Republic Day 2022: Parade Highlights: India is celebrating the 73rd republic Day today. Never-seen-before cockpit visuals, special invites to construction workers, other frontline staff and gigantic scrolls adorning the Rajpath, this year’s Republic Day parade was a unique celebration of both old and new. The parade started at a new time slot of 10:30am.
Image Courtesy: Financial Express
Many of us wonder what is so significant about 26th January, as we were already an independent nation on 15th August 1947. Why is 26 January 1950 significant? Let's explore.
India became independent on the 15th of August 1947 vide the Indian Independence Act, 1947 passed by the parliament of the United Kingdom, which partitioned British India into two independent dominions of India and Pakistan. Article 5 of the above UK Act, envisioned a Governor General, "who shall be appointee by His Majesty and shall represent His Majesty for the purposes of the government of the Dominion".
The last British Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, was asked by the Indian leaders to continue as the first Governor General of India. Technically, we were independent but as an independent dominion administered vide the Government of India Act, 1935 passed by the parliament of the United Kingdom, with suitable provisions for the Constituent Assembly of India laid down in the Indian Independence Act. We were free to make laws, but which required assent of the Governor General, who was the representative of His Majesty.
Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari served as the first Indian Governor General of independent India.
The Constituent Assembly of India was indirectly elected, by members of the provincial assemblies, to frame the Constitution of India (Partition was not an option until then). The Interim Government of India was formed on 02 September 1946, from amongst the Constituent Assembly members.
The Constituent Assembly had its first session on 09 December 1946. On 11 Dec 46 Rajendra Prasad, HC Mookerjee and B N Rau were appointed President, Vice Chairman and Constitutional Legal Advisor respectively. On 13 Dec 46, an objective resolution was presented by J L Nehru, which was later incorporated in the Preamble of the Constitution. The objective resolution was unanimously passed on 22 Jan 47.
The Constituent Assembly took two years, eleven months and seventeen days to pass and adopt the draft Constitution of India, which was done on 26 Nov 49, and was to become effective on 26 Jan 1950. The Constituent Assembly met for the last time on 24 Jan 50.
26th January, is now celebrated as the Republic Day. The Constitution, vide Article 395, repealed the hither-to-fore basic governing document, the UK parliament passed, Government of India Act, 1935. This document thus transformed the Dominion of India to Republic of India.
The Constitution of India was signed and accepted by all. It comprised of 395 articles, 8 schedules and 22 parts and the total expenditure incurred to finish was Rs 64 Lakhs.
The original handcrafted Constitution of India was exquisitely designed and executed. The fine calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
At the beginning of each part of the Constitution, Nandalal Bose has depicted a phase or scene from India's national experience and history. The artwork and illustrations (22 in all), rendered largely in the miniature style, represent vignettes from the different periods of history of the Indian subcontinent, ranging from Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley, the Vedic period, the Gupta and Maurya empires and the Mughal era to the national freedom movement. By doing so, Nandalal Bose has taken us through a veritable pictorial journey across 4000 years of rich history, tradition and culture of the Indian subcontinent.
Image Courtesy: NDTV.com
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