SlideShare uma empresa Scribd logo
1 de 1
Baixar para ler offline
14

| nation |

SUNDAY HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI
JANUARY 26, 2014

REPUBLIC@65
myindiamyvote
Democracy’s parade: Looking back

1

3

R-DAY  A modest celebration to uplift a
broken nation’s spirit has transformed into a
platform to showcase its ambitions to be a
superpower, writes M RAMAKRISHNAN
January 26 was never meant to be celebrated as India’s
Republic Day. Not up until 1950 at least.
The Indian National Congress, in its annual gathering in Lahore in 1929, had decided the day would
instead mark purna swaraj (complete independence)
from British rule from 1930 as against conflicting
demands for a dominion status.
It was only 20 years later that the Constitution of
India was made effective on the same date and India
truly became a republic.
The first military parade was held in 1948 as Prime
Minister Nehru felt it could uplift the spirits of a
nation undergoing the trauma of a violent partition.
He promised it would happen every year from then on.
His defence minister, Baldev Singh, made sure that a
two-star general visited Nehru’s house daily for a week
to help him perfect the salute for taking guard.
It started out as a modest, hour-and-fifteen-minute
show; a 35-year-old carriage drawn by six sturdy
Australian horses ferrying President Rajendra Prasad
from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Irwin Stadium
(now the National Stadium) witnessed by just 15,000
people. Today, the parade is nothing short of a grand
show of the nation’s military and cultural arsenal that
sees the participation of more than 25 marching and
mounted contingents, 20 military bands, 30 cultural
tableaux and 30 aircraft and 1,200 schoolchildren. Close
to 105,000 people will witness this spectacle through
television and also live webcasts.
The first and the 65th Republic Day parade share a
key connection: They precede what arguably was and
is the largest democratic exercise of voting a government to power anywhere in the world. More than a
hundred-million people turned out to cast their votes
in 1951. In a few months, more than five times as many
are likely to elect the 16th Lok Sabha.

2

4
6

5
7

8

9

10

11

President Rajendra Prasad on a horse
carriage on Rajpath during the first
R-Day celebrations in 1950. DEFENCE WING
®® Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and
Defence Minister Baldev Singh at the
1950 parade.
DEFENCE WING
®® Governor General C Rajagopalachari
greets Vice Admiral W E Parry, Gen. K
M Cariappa and other officers in 1950.

DEFENCE WING
®® Dr S Radhakrishnan gives a posthumous
gallantry award in the 1960s. HT PHOTO
®® President Rajendra Prasad takes guard
at the 1950 parade.
DEFENCE WING
®® French President Nicolas Sarkozy with
President Pratibha Patil in 2008.

HT PHOTO
®® Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, ride
through the streets of Delhi with
President Prasad in 1961. GETTY IMAGES
®® South African President Nelson Mandela
with his Indian counterpart Shankar
Dayal Sharma in 1995.
HT PHOTO
®® President A P J Abdul Kalam with
Russian President Vladimir Putin on the
58th Republic Day celebrations. HT PHOTO
®®

®®

The controversial Bofors Gun on display in 1990.

GETTY IMAGES

®®

IPS officer Kiran Bedi leads the Delhi Police contingent in the 1975 Parade. 

HT PHOTO

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Ethnic Conflict
Ethnic ConflictEthnic Conflict
Ethnic Conflict
Greg Sill
 
Westward Expansion
Westward ExpansionWestward Expansion
Westward Expansion
Mr.Rumbaugh
 
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
Lumen Learning
 
Elections 1948-1960
Elections 1948-1960Elections 1948-1960
Elections 1948-1960
UD Teacher
 

Mais procurados (20)

FAMOUS AMERICAN
FAMOUS AMERICANFAMOUS AMERICAN
FAMOUS AMERICAN
 
World War II and Georgia
World War II and GeorgiaWorld War II and Georgia
World War II and Georgia
 
Ethnic Conflict
Ethnic ConflictEthnic Conflict
Ethnic Conflict
 
Tengowski - Unit vi 4 military action
Tengowski - Unit vi 4 military actionTengowski - Unit vi 4 military action
Tengowski - Unit vi 4 military action
 
Richard M. Nixon
Richard M. NixonRichard M. Nixon
Richard M. Nixon
 
Westward Expansion
Westward ExpansionWestward Expansion
Westward Expansion
 
60sForeignPolicy
60sForeignPolicy60sForeignPolicy
60sForeignPolicy
 
Prelude to The Secret War
Prelude to The Secret WarPrelude to The Secret War
Prelude to The Secret War
 
Veterans Day 2013 - A Special Anniversary
Veterans Day 2013 - A Special AnniversaryVeterans Day 2013 - A Special Anniversary
Veterans Day 2013 - A Special Anniversary
 
Imperialism97
Imperialism97Imperialism97
Imperialism97
 
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
 
Unit 9 Modern US History
Unit 9 Modern US HistoryUnit 9 Modern US History
Unit 9 Modern US History
 
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
Open stax history_ch32 the callenges of the twenty-first century imageslidesh...
 
NukeA4beginning of war
NukeA4beginning of warNukeA4beginning of war
NukeA4beginning of war
 
VIETNAM WAR - 09. DIEM BIEN REGIME
VIETNAM WAR - 09. DIEM BIEN REGIMEVIETNAM WAR - 09. DIEM BIEN REGIME
VIETNAM WAR - 09. DIEM BIEN REGIME
 
Richard Milhous Nixon
Richard Milhous NixonRichard Milhous Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon
 
The Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War
 
Richard Nixon
Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Nixon
 
Vietnam War
Vietnam War Vietnam War
Vietnam War
 
Elections 1948-1960
Elections 1948-1960Elections 1948-1960
Elections 1948-1960
 

Semelhante a Democracy's Parade: Looking back

The MAGEX Weekly #3
The MAGEX Weekly #3The MAGEX Weekly #3
The MAGEX Weekly #3
Shoaib Makki
 
Reshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policyReshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policy
Yawar Khan
 
Reshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policyReshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policy
Yawar Khan
 

Semelhante a Democracy's Parade: Looking back (20)

Slides On INDIAN REPUBLIC Day
Slides On INDIAN REPUBLIC DaySlides On INDIAN REPUBLIC Day
Slides On INDIAN REPUBLIC Day
 
15th August
15th August15th August
15th August
 
(108) independence day 2020 ppt hari creations
(108) independence day 2020 ppt hari creations(108) independence day 2020 ppt hari creations
(108) independence day 2020 ppt hari creations
 
Republic day
Republic dayRepublic day
Republic day
 
Indian Events
Indian EventsIndian Events
Indian Events
 
Republic day
Republic dayRepublic day
Republic day
 
Essay On Independence Day Of India
Essay On Independence Day Of IndiaEssay On Independence Day Of India
Essay On Independence Day Of India
 
Indipedia 2k17 answers
Indipedia 2k17 answersIndipedia 2k17 answers
Indipedia 2k17 answers
 
The MAGEX Weekly #3
The MAGEX Weekly #3The MAGEX Weekly #3
The MAGEX Weekly #3
 
HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY.pptx
HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY.pptxHAPPY REPUBLIC DAY.pptx
HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY.pptx
 
HIstory-History Forum India independence Quiz-2018 (main round)
HIstory-History Forum India independence Quiz-2018 (main round)HIstory-History Forum India independence Quiz-2018 (main round)
HIstory-History Forum India independence Quiz-2018 (main round)
 
Reshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policyReshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policy
 
Reshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policyReshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policy
 
Reshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policyReshaping foreign policy
Reshaping foreign policy
 
India Quiz - Chai Pe Quiz - Q Kids Series S1E2
India Quiz - Chai Pe Quiz - Q Kids Series S1E2India Quiz - Chai Pe Quiz - Q Kids Series S1E2
India Quiz - Chai Pe Quiz - Q Kids Series S1E2
 
India 1920 to 2020
India 1920 to 2020India 1920 to 2020
India 1920 to 2020
 
republicday
republicdayrepublicday
republicday
 
7 13
7 137 13
7 13
 
AYUB_KHAN_ERA.pptx
AYUB_KHAN_ERA.pptxAYUB_KHAN_ERA.pptx
AYUB_KHAN_ERA.pptx
 
Childrens day
Childrens dayChildrens day
Childrens day
 

Mais de Ramakrishnan M (8)

15 years of Lok Sabha
15 years of Lok Sabha15 years of Lok Sabha
15 years of Lok Sabha
 
Re-cap of 15 Lok Sabhas
Re-cap of 15 Lok SabhasRe-cap of 15 Lok Sabhas
Re-cap of 15 Lok Sabhas
 
Tata crucible corporate chennai '11
Tata crucible corporate chennai '11Tata crucible corporate chennai '11
Tata crucible corporate chennai '11
 
Biz bytes 3
Biz bytes 3Biz bytes 3
Biz bytes 3
 
Biz bytes
Biz bytesBiz bytes
Biz bytes
 
Biz bytes
Biz bytesBiz bytes
Biz bytes
 
Tata crucible 2011 coimbatore
Tata crucible 2011 coimbatoreTata crucible 2011 coimbatore
Tata crucible 2011 coimbatore
 
quench anniversary
quench anniversaryquench anniversary
quench anniversary
 

Último

Último (20)

AI as Research Assistant: Upscaling Content Analysis to Identify Patterns of ...
AI as Research Assistant: Upscaling Content Analysis to Identify Patterns of ...AI as Research Assistant: Upscaling Content Analysis to Identify Patterns of ...
AI as Research Assistant: Upscaling Content Analysis to Identify Patterns of ...
 
BDSM⚡Call Girls in Indirapuram Escorts >༒8448380779 Escort Service
BDSM⚡Call Girls in Indirapuram Escorts >༒8448380779 Escort ServiceBDSM⚡Call Girls in Indirapuram Escorts >༒8448380779 Escort Service
BDSM⚡Call Girls in Indirapuram Escorts >༒8448380779 Escort Service
 
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Rajokri Delhi >༒8448380779 Escort Service
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Rajokri Delhi >༒8448380779 Escort ServiceEnjoy Night⚡Call Girls Rajokri Delhi >༒8448380779 Escort Service
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Rajokri Delhi >༒8448380779 Escort Service
 
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa_walter.pdf
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa_walter.pdfHow Europe Underdeveloped Africa_walter.pdf
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa_walter.pdf
 
Call Girls in Mira Road Mumbai ( Neha 09892124323 ) College Escorts Service i...
Call Girls in Mira Road Mumbai ( Neha 09892124323 ) College Escorts Service i...Call Girls in Mira Road Mumbai ( Neha 09892124323 ) College Escorts Service i...
Call Girls in Mira Road Mumbai ( Neha 09892124323 ) College Escorts Service i...
 
28042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
28042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf28042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
28042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
 
Kishan Reddy Report To People (2019-24).pdf
Kishan Reddy Report To People (2019-24).pdfKishan Reddy Report To People (2019-24).pdf
Kishan Reddy Report To People (2019-24).pdf
 
Julius Randle's Injury Status: Surgery Not Off the Table
Julius Randle's Injury Status: Surgery Not Off the TableJulius Randle's Injury Status: Surgery Not Off the Table
Julius Randle's Injury Status: Surgery Not Off the Table
 
29042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
29042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf29042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
29042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
 
30042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
30042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf30042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
30042024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdf
 
Nara Chandrababu Naidu's Visionary Policies For Andhra Pradesh's Development
Nara Chandrababu Naidu's Visionary Policies For Andhra Pradesh's DevelopmentNara Chandrababu Naidu's Visionary Policies For Andhra Pradesh's Development
Nara Chandrababu Naidu's Visionary Policies For Andhra Pradesh's Development
 
Defensa de JOH insiste que testimonio de analista de la DEA es falso y solici...
Defensa de JOH insiste que testimonio de analista de la DEA es falso y solici...Defensa de JOH insiste que testimonio de analista de la DEA es falso y solici...
Defensa de JOH insiste que testimonio de analista de la DEA es falso y solici...
 
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Iffco Chowk Gurgaon >༒8448380779 Escort Service
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Iffco Chowk Gurgaon >༒8448380779 Escort ServiceEnjoy Night⚡Call Girls Iffco Chowk Gurgaon >༒8448380779 Escort Service
Enjoy Night⚡Call Girls Iffco Chowk Gurgaon >༒8448380779 Escort Service
 
WhatsApp 📞 8448380779 ✅Call Girls In Chaura Sector 22 ( Noida)
WhatsApp 📞 8448380779 ✅Call Girls In Chaura Sector 22 ( Noida)WhatsApp 📞 8448380779 ✅Call Girls In Chaura Sector 22 ( Noida)
WhatsApp 📞 8448380779 ✅Call Girls In Chaura Sector 22 ( Noida)
 
Nurturing Families, Empowering Lives: TDP's Vision for Family Welfare in Andh...
Nurturing Families, Empowering Lives: TDP's Vision for Family Welfare in Andh...Nurturing Families, Empowering Lives: TDP's Vision for Family Welfare in Andh...
Nurturing Families, Empowering Lives: TDP's Vision for Family Welfare in Andh...
 
Verified Love Spells in Little Rock, AR (310) 882-6330 Get My Ex-Lover Back
Verified Love Spells in Little Rock, AR (310) 882-6330 Get My Ex-Lover BackVerified Love Spells in Little Rock, AR (310) 882-6330 Get My Ex-Lover Back
Verified Love Spells in Little Rock, AR (310) 882-6330 Get My Ex-Lover Back
 
Embed-4.pdf lkdiinlajeklhndklheduhuekjdh
Embed-4.pdf lkdiinlajeklhndklheduhuekjdhEmbed-4.pdf lkdiinlajeklhndklheduhuekjdh
Embed-4.pdf lkdiinlajeklhndklheduhuekjdh
 
2024 04 03 AZ GOP LD4 Gen Meeting Minutes FINAL.docx
2024 04 03 AZ GOP LD4 Gen Meeting Minutes FINAL.docx2024 04 03 AZ GOP LD4 Gen Meeting Minutes FINAL.docx
2024 04 03 AZ GOP LD4 Gen Meeting Minutes FINAL.docx
 
TDP As the Party of Hope For AP Youth Under N Chandrababu Naidu’s Leadership
TDP As the Party of Hope For AP Youth Under N Chandrababu Naidu’s LeadershipTDP As the Party of Hope For AP Youth Under N Chandrababu Naidu’s Leadership
TDP As the Party of Hope For AP Youth Under N Chandrababu Naidu’s Leadership
 
Gujarat-SEBCs.pdf pfpkoopapriorjfperjreie
Gujarat-SEBCs.pdf pfpkoopapriorjfperjreieGujarat-SEBCs.pdf pfpkoopapriorjfperjreie
Gujarat-SEBCs.pdf pfpkoopapriorjfperjreie
 

Democracy's Parade: Looking back

  • 1. 14 | nation | SUNDAY HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI JANUARY 26, 2014 REPUBLIC@65 myindiamyvote Democracy’s parade: Looking back 1 3 R-DAY  A modest celebration to uplift a broken nation’s spirit has transformed into a platform to showcase its ambitions to be a superpower, writes M RAMAKRISHNAN January 26 was never meant to be celebrated as India’s Republic Day. Not up until 1950 at least. The Indian National Congress, in its annual gathering in Lahore in 1929, had decided the day would instead mark purna swaraj (complete independence) from British rule from 1930 as against conflicting demands for a dominion status. It was only 20 years later that the Constitution of India was made effective on the same date and India truly became a republic. The first military parade was held in 1948 as Prime Minister Nehru felt it could uplift the spirits of a nation undergoing the trauma of a violent partition. He promised it would happen every year from then on. His defence minister, Baldev Singh, made sure that a two-star general visited Nehru’s house daily for a week to help him perfect the salute for taking guard. It started out as a modest, hour-and-fifteen-minute show; a 35-year-old carriage drawn by six sturdy Australian horses ferrying President Rajendra Prasad from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Irwin Stadium (now the National Stadium) witnessed by just 15,000 people. Today, the parade is nothing short of a grand show of the nation’s military and cultural arsenal that sees the participation of more than 25 marching and mounted contingents, 20 military bands, 30 cultural tableaux and 30 aircraft and 1,200 schoolchildren. Close to 105,000 people will witness this spectacle through television and also live webcasts. The first and the 65th Republic Day parade share a key connection: They precede what arguably was and is the largest democratic exercise of voting a government to power anywhere in the world. More than a hundred-million people turned out to cast their votes in 1951. In a few months, more than five times as many are likely to elect the 16th Lok Sabha. 2 4 6 5 7 8 9 10 11 President Rajendra Prasad on a horse carriage on Rajpath during the first R-Day celebrations in 1950. DEFENCE WING ®® Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Defence Minister Baldev Singh at the 1950 parade. DEFENCE WING ®® Governor General C Rajagopalachari greets Vice Admiral W E Parry, Gen. K M Cariappa and other officers in 1950. DEFENCE WING ®® Dr S Radhakrishnan gives a posthumous gallantry award in the 1960s. HT PHOTO ®® President Rajendra Prasad takes guard at the 1950 parade. DEFENCE WING ®® French President Nicolas Sarkozy with President Pratibha Patil in 2008. HT PHOTO ®® Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, ride through the streets of Delhi with President Prasad in 1961. GETTY IMAGES ®® South African President Nelson Mandela with his Indian counterpart Shankar Dayal Sharma in 1995. HT PHOTO ®® President A P J Abdul Kalam with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 58th Republic Day celebrations. HT PHOTO ®® ®® The controversial Bofors Gun on display in 1990. GETTY IMAGES ®® IPS officer Kiran Bedi leads the Delhi Police contingent in the 1975 Parade. HT PHOTO