Every year on 26th January I turn on my TV at 8
To watch our soldiers marching, planes gliding and tanks rolling through India Gate
Watching these soldiers march in their handsome uniforms makes me extremely proud
And on this day we also mourn the losses of people who, for the Nation, wore the shroud
This day, unlike others, isn’t just a holiday for me
It symbolises the day when, from British rule, we finally broke free
The sacrifice and struggle that Indians went through then were huge
In their own country, they couldn’t be a refuge
Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose were a few who fought for our country and shot to fame
But what about the thousand others who sacrificed their entire lives, but we still don’t know their name!
Do you know why 26th January 1950 was the chosen date?
Because exactly 20 years on the same date the INC proclaimed the Declaration of Independence after winning the debate!
This day celebrates the coming into force of India’s constitution
This is the world’s largest document and respects every institution
But after all these years is India still an independent republic
Or is it a monarch hiding in the skins of general public?