Almost 7 decades ago, 389 learned men and women belonging to different castes and classes from across the country deliberated for days to propound the Constitution of India as we know it today. 3 years of meticulous debates and discussions over 11 sessions led to the creation of the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. The constituent assembly finished the drafting process on 26 November 1949 and it legally came into enforcement on 26 January 1950, which marks the celebration of the birth of India’s republic.

Misplaced Understanding of the Day

While the day is meant to celebrate the spirit of the nation’s judiciary and the enormous efforts that went into its formation, the 21st-century generation has come to a bizarrely misplaced understanding of the day. There hasn’t been enough focus on how the present generation has belittled the whole idea of India’s republic by considering 26 January as merely a holiday. At the same time, it is even more unfortunate to notice that this isn’t the only way we are insulting the nation and its constitution.

Schools and educational institutions, regarded as the guiding lights of an individual’s life, are contributing to a ridiculous idea of Republic Day celebration. Entertainment has sadly and rather absurdly outweighed the respect for the makers of our constitution that we all must imbue. Republic Day celebrations at schools and several other places play pop culture songs and consist of dance performances that aren’t even remotely associated with the historical significance of the day.

Our children, who are supposed to be the torchbearers of this pervasively progressing nation, are unaware of and indifferent to the contributions of hundreds of people who worked day and night to form the constitution of India. The role of schools as the foremost and primary agent of socialisation is to channel the constituent assembly’s hard work and dedicated efforts from generation to generation, to enlighten the children about our country’s diverse voices, to induce in them a respect for their nation and its people.

What Needs to be Done

Today, when the young leaders of our generation are striving to bring a change in the society, it is our responsibility to support them in every little way that we can. It is important to spread awareness in order to change this reprehensible state of affairs. There is a massive need to revolutionize the school system so that it can successfully inculcate the ideals of patriotism and nationalism in the young minds. We, as citizens, need to take every possible step to teach young children about the historical significance of the republic day and voice our concerns in every appropriate manner to stop these shameful celebrations.

History is as easily forgotten as strenuously it is created. As the citizens of a country with enormous historical wealth, it is upon us to preserve these scraps of history, it is upon us to enlighten the future generations about the sacrifices and struggles that went into the creation of their motherland, it is upon us to respect our country. This republic day, let us strive to revive patriotism in ourselves and others.