My INDIA

63 years back, a salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on January 26, 1950; 894 days after our country became a dominion following withdrawal of British Rule. Since then, every year the day is celebrated with great pride and happiness all over the nation.
The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign, secular, and democratic nation was indeed historical. It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the conceptualisation of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950. A look into the journey that led to the birth of Indian Republic will make our celebrations more meaningful.

Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress

The seeds of a republican nation were sowed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress at the midnight of 31st December 1929. The session was held under the presidency of Pt. Jawarhar Lal Nehru. Those present in the meeting took a pledge to mark January 26 as "Independence Day" in order to march towards realizing the dream of complete independence from the British. The Lahore Session paved way to the Civil Disobedience movement. It was decided that January 26, 1930 would be observed as the Purna Swaraj (complete Independence) Day. Many Indian political parties and Indian revolutionaries from all over the country united to observe the day with honour and pride.

Indian Constituent Assembly Meetings

The Indian Constituent Assembly, which was constituted as a result of the negotiations between the Indian leaders and members of the British Cabinet Mission, had its first meeting on December 9, 1946. The Objective of the Assembly was to give India a constitution, which would serve a lasting purpose and hence appointed a number of committees to thoroughly research the various aspects of the proposed constitution. The recommendations were discussed, debated and revised many times before the Indian Constitution was finalized and officially adopted three years later on November 26, 1949.

Constitution came into force

Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it enjoyed the true spirit of Independence on January 26, 1950 when the Constitution of India finally came into force. The Constitution gave the citizens of India the power to govern themselves by choosing their own government. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, took oath as the first President of India at the Durbar Hall in the Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile route to the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.
Ever since the historic day, January 26 is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor all around the country. The day owes its importance to the constitution of India that was adopted on this day. On this Republic Day, read what the great Constitution of India, that propounds liberal democracy, has in its store. Let's also feel proud in pronouncing what the Preamble to our Constitution (External website that opens in a new window) says.

Did you know?

With 395 Articles and eight Schedules, the Indian Constitution is the largest written constitution in the world.

Quotes

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India, in his special message to his countrymen, on the birth of the Indian Republic, said:

"We must re-dedicate ourselves on this day to the peaceful but sure realization of the dream that had inspired the Father of our Nation and the other captains and soldiers of our freedom struggle, the dream of establishing a classless, co-operative, free and happy society in 'his country'. We must remember that this is more a day of dedications than of rejoicing - dedication to the glorious task of making the peasants and workers the toilers and the thinkers fully free, happy and cultured."

C. Rajagopalachari, His Excellency the Governor-General in a broadcast talk from the Delhi Station of All-India Radio on Jan 26, 1950 said:

"On the eve of my laying down office, with the inauguration of the Republic, I should like to tender my greetings and best wishes to the men and women of India who will henceforth be a citizen of a republic. I feel deeply thankful for the affection showered on me by all sections of the people, which alone enabled me to bear the burden of an office to the duties and conventions of which I had been an utter stranger."

Indian Freedom Struggle (1857-1947)

In ancient times, people from all over the world were keen to come to India. The Aryans came from Central Europe and settled down in India.The Persians followed by the Iranians and Parsis immigrated to India. Then came the Moghuls and they too settled down permanently in India. Chengis Khan, the Mongolian, invaded and looted India many times. Alexander the Great too, came to conquer India but went back after a battle with Porus. He-en Tsang from China came in pursuit of knowledge and to visit the ancient Indian universities of Nalanda and Takshila. Columbus wanted to come to India, but instead landed on the shores of America. Vasco da Gama from Portugal came to trade his country's goods in return for Indian species. The French came and established their colonies in India.
Lastly, the Britishers came and ruled over India for nearly 200 years. After the battle of Plassey in 1757, the British achieved political power in India. And their paramountcy was established during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie, who became the Governor- General in 1848. He annexed Punjab, Peshawar and the Pathan tribes in the north-west of India. And by 1856, the British conquest and its authority were firmly established. And while the British power gained its heights during the middle of the 19^th century, the discontent of the local rulers, the peasantry, the intellectuals, common masses as also of the soldiers who became unemployed due to the disbanding of the armies of various states that were annexed by the British, became widespread. This soon broke out into a revolt which assumed the dimensions of the 1857 Mutiny.

The Indian Mutiny of 1857

The conquest of India, which could be said to have begun with the Battle of Plassey (1757), was practically completed by the end of Dalhousie's tenure in 1856. It had been by no means a smooth affair as the simmering discontent of the people manifested itself in many localized revolt during this period. However, the Mutiny of 1857, which began with a revolt of the military soldiers at Meerut, soon became widespread and posed a grave challenge to the British rule. Even though the British succeeded in crushing it within a year, it was certainly a popular revolt in which the Indian rulers, the masses and the militia participated so enthusiastically that it came to be regarded as the First War of Indian Independence.
Introduction of zamindari system by the British, where the peasants were ruined through exorbitant charges made from them by the new class of landlords. The craftsmen were destroyed by the influx of the British manufactured goods. The religion and the caste system which formed the firm foundation of the traditional Indian society was endangered by the British administration. The Indian soldiers as well as people in administration could not rise in hierarchy as the senior jobs were reserved for the Europeans. Thus, there was all-round discontent and disgust against the British rule, which burst out in a revolt by the 'sepoys' at Meerut whose religious sentiments were offended when they were given new cartridges greased with cow and pig fat, whose covering had to be stripped out by biting with the mouth before using them in rifles. The Hindu as well as the Muslim soldiers, who refused to use such cartridges, were arrested which resulted in a revolt by their fellow soldiers on May 9, 1857.
The rebel forces soon captured Delhi and the revolt spread to a wider area and there was uprising in almost all parts of the country. The most ferocious battles were fought in Delhi, Awadh, Rohilkhand, Bundelkhand, Allahabad, Agra, Meerut and western Bihar. The rebellious forces under the commands of Kanwar Singh in Bihar and Bakht Khan in Delhi gave a stunning blow to the British. In Kanpur, Nana Sahib was proclaimed as the Peshwa and the brave leader Tantya Tope led his troops. Rani Lakshmibai was proclaimed the ruler of Jhansi who led her troops in the heroic battles with the British. The Hindus, the Muslims, the Sikhs and all the other brave sons of India fought shoulder to shoulder to throw out the British. The revolt was controlled by the British within one year, it began from Meerut on 10 May 1857 and ended in Gwalior on 20 June 1858.

Republic Day

Republic Day

India achieved independence from British rule on 15 August 1947 following the Indian independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress. The independence came through the Indian Independence Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo 6 c. 30), an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent Dominions of the British Commonwealth (later Commonwealth of Nations): India and Pakistan.^[2] India obtained its independence on 15 August 1947 as a constitutional monarchy with George VI as head of state and the Earl Mountbatten as governor-general. The country, though, did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935. On 28 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Dr.B. R. Ambedkar as chairman. While India's Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution.

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 310 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, it came into force.

List of Freedom fighters of India

1. Bhagat Singh


Date of birth: September 27, 1907

Place of birth: Lyallpur, Punjab, British India

Date of death: March 23, 1931

Place of death: Lahore, Punjab, British India

Movement: Indian Independence movement

Major organizations: Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Kirti Kissan Party and Hindustan

Socialist Republican Association

Religion: Sikhism (early life), Atheist (later life)

Influences Anarchism, Communism, Socialism









2. Shivaram Rajguru


Date of birth: August 24, 1908

Place of birth: Maharashtra

Date of death: March 23, 1931

Place of death: Lahore, Punjab, British India

Movement: Indian Independence movement








3. Chander Shekhar Azad



Date of birth: July 23, 1906


Date of death: February 27, 1931,


Place of birth: Bhavra, Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh, India

Place of death: Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Movement: Indian Independence movement

Major organizations: Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Kirti Kissan Party and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association







4. Udham Singh 

Date of birth: December 26, 1899


Date of death: July 31, 1940

Place of birth: Sangrur Dist, Punjab, India

Place of death: Pentonville Prison, United Kingdom


Movement: Indian Independence movement


Major organizations: Ghadar Party, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association


5. Subhash Chandra Bose



Date of birth: January 23, 1897

Date of death: 18 August 1945 [ although this is disputed ]

Place of birth: Cuttack, Orissa

Place of death: Taiwan [ although this is disputed ]

Movement: Indian independence movement activism and reorganising and leading the Indian National Army





6. Lala Lajpat Rai



Date of birth: 28 Jan 1865

Date of death: 17 Nov. 1928

Place of birth: Jagraon, India

Place of death: Lahore (Now Pakistan, India )

Movement: Indian independence movement






7. Jhansi Ki Rani

Date of birth: 19 November 1828

Date of death: 17 June 1858

Place of birth: Kashi, India

Place of death: Gwalior, India

Movement: Indian Rebellion of 1857





8. Tatia Tope

Date of birth: 1814

Date of death: 18 April 1859

Place of birth Yeola

Place of death: Shivpuri

Movement: Indian Rebellion of 1857 [ First War of Indian Independence ]





9. Mangal Pandey



Date of birth: 19 July 1827 
Date of death: 8 April 1857 
Place of birth the village of Nagwa in district Ballia (Uttar Pradesh), 
Place of death: Barrackpore, Calcutta, India 
Movement: Indian Rebellion of 1857 [ First War of Indian Independence ] 





9. Ram Prasad Bismil


Date of birth: 1897

Date of death: 18 Dec. 1927

10. Ashfaqulla Khan

Date of birth: October 22, 1900

Date of death: December 19, 1927

Place of Birth : Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.






11. Vallabhbhai patel



Date of birth: 31 October 1875

Place of birth: Nadiad, Gujarat, British India

Date of death: 15 December 1950 (aged 75)

Place of death: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Movement: Indian Independence Movement

Major organizations: Indian National Congress

Notable prizes: Bharat Ratna (1991, posthumous)

Major monuments: Sardar Patel National Memorial

Religion: Hindu

Influences Mahatma Gandhi





12. Dr. Rajendra Prasad 


Born December 3, 1884 Zeradei, Bihar, India

Died February 28, 1963 (aged 78)










13. Lal Bahadur Shastri 

Born 2 October 1904(1904-10-02)Mughalsarai, United Provinces,British India

Died 11 January 1966 (aged 61)Tashkent, Uzbek SSR

Birth name Lal Bahadur Srivastava

Political party Indian National Congress





14. Bal Gangadhar Tilak


Date of Birth 23 July 1856

Date of Death 1 August 1920


Place of birth: Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India

Place of death: Mumbai, India





15. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Date of birth May 9, 1866

Death of death - February 19, 1915)

Place of birth:
Kothluk, Ratnagiri Dist., Maharastra, India
Place of death:
Bombay, India





16. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar



Born 28 May 1883Bhagur, India

Died February 26, 1966 (aged 82)Mumbai, India

Cause of death Self termination

Nationality Indian


Education Bachelor of Arts from Fergusson College, Pune


Known for Indian Independence Movement, Hindutva




17. Sukhdev


Date of birth 15 May 1907

Date of Death March 23, 1931).




18. Madan Lal Dhingra
Date of Birth : 18 Feb. 1883

Date of Death : 17 August 1909




19. Kartar Singh Sarabha


Date of Birth : 1896

Date of Death 1915


Place of birth: Sarabha Village, Ludhiana, Punjab

Place of death: Lahore, British India

Movement: Indian Independence movement, Ghadar Conspiracy






20. Vinoba Bhave


Date of Birth : September 11, 1895

Date of Death - November 15 1982




21. Freedom Fighters of Jalian Vala Bagh
April 13, 1919




22. Tipu Sultan

Date of Birth : 20 Nov. 1750

Date of Death : 4 May 1799





23. Khudiram Bose 


Date of Birth : 3 Dec. 1889

Date of Death : 11 Aug. 1908





24. Dr. Sarvepalli Radakrishan

Date of Birth : 5 Sept . 1888

Date of Death : 17 April 1975