New Delhi, Jan 26: “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom”. This made the part of the speech delivered by Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of India’s Independence in the year 1947. India was an independent nation. However, with independence didn’t come democracy. Since India didn’t have a Constitution, India couldn’t elect its leaders to run the country. Click here to catch live updates of Republic Day 2018 parade.
After about two years, the Constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950. The Constitution replaced the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India. Since then, we celebrate Republic Day every year on January 2018. The Drafting Committee, with Dr. BR Ambedkar as a chairman, was formed to draft a permanent Constitution. On November 4, 1947, the committee submitted its first draft.
The Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly of India on November 26, 1949, but was finally adopted on January 26, 1950. “If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it,” Ambedkar had said.
FACTS
1. The first copy of the Constitution was handwritten. It was calligraphed both in English in Hindi.
2. The Constitution took nearly 2 years and 11 months.
3. The first Republic Day parade was held in the year 1955. Between 1950 and 1954, it was being held at Irwin Stadium (now National Stadium), Kingsway, Red Fort, and Ramlila ground.
4. On the Republic day, the President honours selective Indian citizens for their unusual acts of bravery.
5. The celebration is a three-day affair. It ends on January 29 with the Beating Retreat ceremony held at Vijay Chowk.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and greeted the nation on the 69th Republic Day 2018. “Greetings on Republic Day,” he wrote on Twitter.
India is celebrating its 69th Republic Day today on January 26, 2018. The Republic Day Parade will start from the Raisina Hill Rashtrapati Bhavan. The ceremonial parade is expected to begin at 9:50 AM from Vijay Chowk and make way towards the Red Fort Grounds through Rajpath, India Gate, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg