what is 26 january

What is 26 January?

Being nurtured in top institutions like DPS, St.Stephen’s, Hindu College, University of Delhi which have strong nationalist tendencies to celebrate the idea of ‘My nation being a great republic!”, I have been asked to inscribe in mind that 26january is a day when India became republic, our constitution came into being this day in 1950, and that We are a Republic because the head of State in the country is an elected one. Every year the pomp and show that accompanies this day in the parade and celebration is unsurpassed. There is colossal budget and elaborate arrangements and practices, hard work involved since 59 years of the establishment.
However, there are certain issues that beg the merit of answers. The election to the highest office is a game-play of Political realities of the day. The Presidential office is high on ceremony and symbolism.
The constitution has been often thwarted by its very safe-guarders, misuse of Article 356, controversial role of Governor, to name a few. The very nature of constitution has been debated as asymmetrical, that the States have been over-ridden by the Centre power, so it is dubbed as ‘Quasi-federal’ by K.C.Wheare. The political realities of multi-party coalition era, globalization, coalition politics, and rise of regional players, vigilant media and civil society have put onus on the need to rework the different dimensions of our constitution.
The rise of judicial activism have raised alarm over the balance of separation of power between different organs of Government, indifference to rule of law, maladministration, gigantic corruption plagues the system. Thus in this context, for the common Indian Citizen, 26 January turns out to be mere ‘holiday’. The ethos behind the celebration are given back seat. The very guardians of Indian state, as the preamble asserts in ringing declaration’ We the people’, ironically do not cherish its virtues.
There is elaborate coverage of the parade in the news, yet we fail to ask ourselves: celebration of the republic for whom? What cannot be neglected that these concerns are raised every year, yet we turn blind eye to it. We need to be proud of mighty Indian state that varies from display of Brahmaos, Sukhoi, MiGs, tableaux of different states, diplomatic establishments as depicted in the parade. Yet this feeling should not be restricted to this splendorous exhibition. The state needs to account for the trust imposed on it. Perhaps that is why despite naxalism, communalism, regionalism, linguistic politics, the state is standing tall as Hobbesian leviathan.
It is time now for this state to revert this respect and integrity of its citizens by adequate supply of public services, containing inflation, checking corruption, ensuring transparency, accountability.
I hope it is not much to ask for democratic state like ours to set as resolution for this New Year to celebrate the 60th republic day with much fervor than ever before.