As our military might was marching past in its assigned
splendor on our 61st Republic Day, every Indian turned
a little nostalgic.
It was January 26, 1950. Venue: Durbar Hall,
Rashtrapathi Bhavan. At 10.18 a.m., Governor General C
Rajagopalachari solemnly proclaimed India as a `Sovereign, Democratic
Republic' in the ceremony held thereat. As everyone present
inside rejoiced, guns boomed outside.
At 10.24 a.m., Chief Justice Kania swore in
Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India. Thus transited India
from being a British Dominion to a Republic. Indians had
finally—severing from the diktats of Rajas, Maharajas, Badshahs and Jahanpanahs—placed themselves under the command of a
supreme law, the Constitution of India. Thus began our
`tryst with destiny'—a destiny that we are still struggling to come
to terms with even after 60 years. There is an all-pervasive
`intolerance' that is driving India in different
directions. Much against the wishes of our
founding fathers, everything looks distressing, if
not threatening. |
