Did you know why 26th January was chosen as Republic Day? It was on 26th January in 1930 that the Indian National Congress proclaimed the Declaration of Purna Swarajya. This Republic Day, you could revisit or reiterate some of Independence Day Resolutions or do something else to mark the 69th anniversary of the coming into effect of the Indian Constitution. Or you could mark the day in some other way; some of these suggestions could help.
This is the most obvious suggestion. Watching on TV is the easiest but if you can brave the cold, get a pass and grab a space, watching it live on Rajpath may be quite an experience! Watch it for the pomp, the splendour, the colour of India. Watch it to know about our military; our men and women in uniform. Watch it for the flypast, the energetic dances, those brave children the beautiful floats and the daring motorcycle riders!
Sure we all stand for the national anthem at cinemas. When we do the same on Republic Day, some of us find that our eyes brim over as well. But do we know precisely what we say when we sing the national anthem? Find out the meaning of the national anthem this Republic Day.
Even if you’ve spent your entire life in the same place, there may be parts of your city that you have not visited, or whose history/significance you are unaware of. Practically all of India is steeped in history; littered with historical monuments and buildings of architectural significance. Know more about these.
You could decide to contribute money, food, clothing or your time to a charitable organisation of some sort. You could simply decide to finance the education of a child or impart literacy training to an illiterate adult or child you know. In any way, possible, try to improve the lives of the less fortunate.
Organise an event in your colony (celebrate a secular festival for a change!), where people come together to hoist the flag, sing the national anthem and reaffirm our pledge to the nation and its constitution. You can of course have such a solemn ceremony by yourself or with your immediate family as well. Or perhaps, you can offer to help out with the flag hoisting ceremony in a school or college close by and then really pay heed to the songs of national integration and brotherhood that those kids sing for those assembled.
Know more about your country, its tumultuous past and get some facts beyond the propaganda and the misinformation of social media shares. Some of the best options are India's Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra, India Wins Freedom by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, The Great Partition by Yasmin Khan, Makers of Modern India by Ramchandra Guha, Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru, Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple (the last two being a personal favourites of mine), to name a few.
This again can be a solitary activity or an organised community effort. Not only is tree planting a way to beautify the area and lower pollution, years down the road, it is a reminder of a Republic Day – when you did something meaningful, worthy and beneficial for your community. Meanwhile watch this blast from our Doordarshan past: a delightful little ode to the beautiful, many-hued, multi-faith, linguistically diverse idea of India! Jai Hind!
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