Episode notes
Do you know why India celebrates Republic Day on January 26? It was on this day in 1950 that the Constitution of India came into effect, replacing the Government of India Act 1935. The Constituent Assembly chose January 26 as it was on this day in 1930 that the Indian National Congress raised a demand for Purna Swaraj — complete self-rule — through the Declaration of Indian Independence. This assertion by India’s freedom fighters emphatically rejected Britain’s offer of Dominion status to India.
The Constituent Assembly’s decisive enactment of the Constitution of India transformed the nature of the people of India — with this, we were no longer subjects of a British dominion; we were citizens of a sovereign, democratic, Republic of India.
Not only does the Constitution guarantee us many rights, it empowers us to demand these rights. I ...
Keywords
indiaconstitution of indiaazim premji universityradio azim premji universityconstitutional valuesstory of indiaconstituent assembly of indiahistory of indiaindian historyrepublic day