Happy Republic Day to all!!

More than six decades after independence, seems to be ample time in the life of young India to evolve the concept of patriotism from just another abstract concept to something real and concrete . All those lessons on fraternity and brotherhood that have been handed down to us, should they be confined to the boundaries of schools, eager to hoist the national flag and ‘celebrate’ this ‘important’ day? Do these values have any relevance today? What does patriotism mean to us students today? How easy is it to think about the country?

Unlike in the olden days , patriotism today is increasingly becoming an expression that needs to be exhibited more than felt . So we have enthusiastic people swaying tricolor flags on the vehicles and motor bikes on the republic and independence days, to wearing tri-colour wrist bands and badges.

However, do we really know the significance of Republic Day? This day is not ‘just’ another holiday and there lies a lot of significance behind the celebrations. Here are 7 Republic day facts you must know.

– Republic Day celebration actually lasts for three days! The Beating Retreat is held at the end of the third day marking the end of Republic Day.

– There are just two original copies of the Constitution in the country written in Hindi and English. They have been preserved in helium-filled cases in the Parliament of India. This constitution has been calligraphed and not printed. Such photo lithographic copies are in circulation and only 1000 copies have been written till date.

– The President addresses the Republic Day whereas; the Prime Minister addresses the Independence Day.

– Our Constitution is the longest in the world. You definitely cannot read it in a single day.

– Now, writing the constitution was not simple. The Assembly gathered for 166 days that was spread over two years, 11 months and 18 days before the final version was formed. Yes, it was all hand-written and it was on the 26th of January that marked the celebration of Independence in its true sense.

– The Constitution came into a legal circulation at 10:18 AM on the 26th of January, 1950.

– During The Beating Retreat, ‘Abide by Me’ is the song that is played to mark the end of the ceremony.

Today, as we celebrate the 65th Republic Day of India, the day when India wrote and implemented its constitution. We find that, for most of us it may make  a perfect holiday but Republic Day has a deeper relevance; it boils down to surrendering to patriotism in every activity of our lives – from standing up for the national anthem after buying an expensive multiplex movie ticket or little children singing the national song without knowing the lyrics of it . We all know our rights , but let us for a moment reflect on this the thought- does the country have a right on us too?

Share your views, ideas and feedback with us. We would love to hear from you

Jai Hind!

Team Meritnation