Tomorrow is Republic Day. India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force. On 28 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as chairman. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on 4 November 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950. Two days later, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands. The Constitution of India was passed on 26 November 1949, 10.18 AM IST, but it came into effect completely only on 26 January 1950. It is the longest written(roughly) constitution of any sovereign country in the world, containing 450 articles in 24 parts, 12 schedules and 96 amendments, for a total of 117,369 words in the English language version. The Constitution declares India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty, and endeavours to promote fraternity among them. The words "socialist" and "secular" were added to the definition in 1976 by constitutional amendment.
Sir Anthony Eden, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said at the time of the emergence of Indian Republic,
"Of all the experiments in government, which have been attempted since the beginning of time, I believe that the Indian venture into parliamentary government is the most exciting. A vast subcontinent is attempting to apply to its tens and thousands of millions a system of free democracy... It is a brave thing to try to do so. The Indian venture is not a pale imitation of our practice at home, but a magnified and multiplied reproduction on a scale we have never dreamt of. If it succeeds, its influence on Asia is incalculable for good. Whatever the outcome we must honour those who attempt it."
Usually, it is not a big deal for me really. But this time, I feel something. Or maybe I at least want to. After 64 years of Independence, 62 years of the constitution being in existence, what is the outcome? Have we, as India, achieved any progress as a humanitarian society? Have we made the founding fathers of this nation proud? What would our ancestors feel looking at us, their young sons and daughters forgetting about the sacrifices they made to give us freedom - to pee on the roads, litter the streets, steal from our own(rich and poor), kill our brothers and sisters because they don't pray to who we pray - the freedom they earned for us by shedding their own blood.
A father feels on top of the world when his kid does something that makes him proud. But I am sure the father will be equally happy to learn that his kid recognizes and acknowledges the hardships and sacrifices made by his father and feels proud of him. I don't know if I am making my forefathers proud, but tomorrow, I am going to remember what they did for me and BE proud. I am going to look at MY flag and salute it with the pride I have been gifted as my right.
TOMORROW, I AM GOING TO BE A PROUD INDIAN.
