Friday 25 January 2013

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JANUARY 26..



Today is republic day. On this day 64 years before WE THE PEOPLE have got the democratic system of governance for our country. What does January 26 mean to us. Few people see beyond the unabashed display of arms, a magnificent parade by armed forces, and the President’s speech because we do not go into what it really stood for. The need to understand the history behind 26 January comes from the fact that only the past makes 26 January is a landmark date in our history.

The Indian National Congress held its annual session in December 1929. It voted for “purna swaraj” or complete independence as against a dominion status for India and passed a resolution fixing the last Sunday of January 1930 — it was coincidentally January 26 — as Independence Day. It resolved to hold countrywide demonstrations in support of the goal.

On that day we declared ourselves an independent country, no longer under the clutches of the Britishers. The Declaration drafted by Mahatma Gandhi, began ....“We believe that it is the incredible right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom to enjoy the fruits of their soil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities of growth… if any government deprives a people of these and oppress them, the people have a further right to alter or abolish it”
The Indian National Congress had declared complete independence for thr first time and the declaration further said-
“We believe therefore, that India must server the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or complete independence… We hold it to be a crime against man and God to submit any longer to a rule that has caused this fourfold disaster to our country.”

The passage to the Lahore declaration was marked by a debate which saw the All India Home Rule League and the All India Muslim League favouring a dominion status while leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Aurobindo and Bipin Chandra Pal argued for a complete separation from British rule. The latter’s view prevailed.

Jawaharlal Nehru was chosen the president of the Congress. On the midnight of December 31, 1929, he raised the first “swaraj” flag that was later adopted as the national flag.

So after one year of British apathy, at the midnight of December 31, 1929 at a massive public gathering in Lahore, on the bank of river Ravee, Jawahar Lal Nehru declared “Purna Swaraj” or complete independence from the British and asked the people to observe January 26 as Independence Day. The Tiranga with charkhaa was hoisted by Nehru on the banks of the river Ravi in Lahore. On January 26, 1930, the declaration of ''Purna Swaraj'' was publicly announced and people all over the country celebrated India‘s Independence day on that day and was celebrated every following year.
However, when the events happened, Gandhi and Nehru were taken aback with the response. In his autobiography, Nehru recalled how “Independence Day came, January 26th 1930, and it revealed to us, in a flash, the earnest and enthusiastic mood of the country. There was something vastly impressive about the great gatherings everywhere, peacefully and solemnly taking the pledge of independence without any speeches or exhortation”. In a press statement Nehru issued after the observance of the “first” Independence Day, he “respectfully congratulate(d) the nation on the success of the solemn and orderly demonstrations”.

On the eve of August 15, Nehru began his celebrated speech “Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.” Sadly not many understand what it means. The tryst with destiny was the pledge India had taken long years ago- on the 26th of January 1930. However the pledge taken in Lahore, couldn’t be redeemed in full measure due to Partition. We got freedom but partitioned.

The declaration of January 26 says “The British Government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually” It further speaks on how a normal Indian is heavily taxed, how the village industry has been destroyed, how customs and imported British goods are undesirable. It also spoke of how “The rights of free expression of opinion and free association have been denied to us” and how “the system of education has torn us from our moorings and our training has made us bug the very chains that bind us”.

The process for the evolution of a Sovereign Republic kicked in soon thereafter. A Constituent Assembly of elected members of the Provincial Assemblies was set up. It included Nehru, C. Rajagopalachari, Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Shyama Prasad Mookherjee and Nalini Ranjan Ghosh. There were jurists like B.R. Ambedkar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer and K.M. Munshi.

Dr Ambedkar was asked to chair the drafting committee of the Constitution. It met for 166 days over two years, 11 months and 18 days. The final document that enshrined 345 Articles and eight Schedules was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26 1949. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950, when India officially became a Sovereign Democratic Republic, 894 days after the British rulers withdrew.

Where have we reached years after this declaration? Has the injustices decreased or has it been reaffirmed more so in the recent years? Its important to take one hard look at ourselves and the nation and try to reach an answer conscientiously. The extreme contradictions in the country does not paint a rosy picture, hence we must deliberate- where we have reached, which direction we are now heading and where we must be ideally heading.

 August 15th stood for partition, tragedy and the dominion status not independence or celebration. January 26 represented freedom, the promise of independence and the formation of the nation-state, and not just the Constitution and parade.

Hence January 26 is a day to celebrate. … Perhaps its time to recognize the freedoms January 26 stood for. It’s time to analyse whether we have redeemed the pledge we undertook years back. It’s time to resolve to take more actions in furtherance of the vision of January 26 …
-vss

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