R-Day is true national festival
Republic Day celebrations take place each year on January 26 to commemorate the date the Indian Constitution came into force. For more than 200 years, the British ruled India. It took India a very long time to achieve independence from the British Raj. Although India gained independence on August 14th, 1947, the constitution came into effect on January 26th, 1950. R-Day is the true national festival and the fervor and the spirit that mark the day are remarkable. Entire India has been celebrating the festival that gave them the Constitution ever since 1950.
To watch the R-Day Parade at the 'Kartavya Path' (Rajpath earlier), common people walk some 50 kilometres even starting well in advance holding the tricolour in Delhi. This is the day proud Indians watch not just the might of the country but also get acquainted with the glorious culture of the States. Our heroes are remembered and honoured on the day. Medals of valour, 'Rathnas' and Padmas' are conferred on the people this day. Anyone disagreeing with the celebrations and refusing to acknowledge the Constitution could only be a non-Indian.
Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar while presenting the final draft of the Constitution to the Constituent Assembly stated "the form of administration must be appropriate to and in the same sense as the form of the constitution". He was referring to the diffusion of Constitutional morality for the peaceful working of a democratic constitution in the country. He added "it is perfectly possible to pervert the constitution, without changing its form by merely changing the form of the administration and to make it inconsistent and opposed to the spirit of the constitution".
Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao who is also the chief of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, has just proved that he has not cultivated the Constitutional morality. Sometime back, when he observed that the Constitution needed to be changed, no one took him seriously enough. Or should we have? Does he not agree with the Constitution and that Telangana is a part of the nation? Even a High Court order was cold shouldered by him and the ceremonial parade was not held. The official reason for the non-compliance of the HC order as well as the Presidential executive order was 'corona' if one goes by the argument in the court. How long ago the great Khammam public meeting was held with 'five lakh people' by the KCR government to celebrate TRS going national as BRS? The Chief Minister only unfurled the national flag at his party headquarters to celebrate his own R-Day like an Opposition leader because of his differences with the Governor, Tamilasai. He has certainly taken his federalism to new heights in doing so.
On 15 August 1947 we had 600 Indian States in existence. As Dr Ambedkar said "If I may say so, if things go wrong under the new constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad constitution. What we will have to say is, the Man was vile". Could anyone answer a hypothetical question based on KCR's logic: "Today he forced two R-Day celebrations because of his differences with the Governor. What if he becomes the Prime Minister tomorrow and disagrees with the President? Will the R-Day parade be held at all?" KCR who is planning to go national will soon be facing this question. He better be prepared to answer it.