Purna Swaraj Day

 

Purna Swaraj or the declaration of the independence of India was enacted by Indian National Congress on 19th December 1929. The motto behind this was to get full freedom from British rule. On 31 December 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the flag of India on the bank of River Ravi, Lahore.

26th January 1930 was declared as “Purna Swaraj Day” by the Congress. Purna Swaraj was the historic journey of our independence, a vision of Independent India was not a one-day thing it took decades.

The proposal of the “Indian Declaration of Independence” was a document containing 750 words. It was in the form of a manifesto. The Demand of Purna Swaraj Manifesto was:

The citizens of India should have the right to live freely like other nations across the globe. The social, political, financial, and living standards of people were deprived during the British rule. The sudden growth in tax rates was one of the reasons behind the demand for Purna Swaraj. Congress advocated that the basic right of people should be given.

The right to expression was curtailed by the British government. Congress had declared the Purna Swaraj on 26th January 1930 and appealed the Indians to commemorate this day as Independence Day.

Indian Republic Day

 

Indian Republic Day falls on January 26 every year. Republic Day is one of three Indian national holidays and it commemorates the enactment of the constitution of India, which occurred on January 26, 1950. India had achieved independence from Britain on August 15, 1947 (which is celebrated as a separate national holiday), but for its first three years the country remained governed largely by the colonial Government of India Act of 1935.

Shortly after independence was declared, a constituent assembly elected by provincial assemblies went about drafting a constitution that would govern the newly independent nation. After more than two years, the constitution of India was completed and solidified the establishment of India’s independent democratic government. January 26 was chosen as the official enactment date as a nod to the Purna Swaraj (complete self-rule) declaration of independence by the Indian National Congress in 1930 — considered the first concrete step toward independence from Britain.

With the 1950 constitution, the country was officially known as the Republic of India — a “sovereign socialist secular democratic republic” that “secures all its citizens justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity,” according to its preamble.

The main event for the holiday is a massive parade held in the capital of New Delhi, which includes cultural, historical, and military displays. The parade is preceded by the prime minister laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti — an arched war memorial — and taking a moment of silence to commemorate fallen soldiers.

Smaller parades, cultural programs, and public celebrations, and private parties take place throughout the country, as most businesses, schools, and government offices are closed. The festivities officially come to a close on January 29 with the Beating Retreat Ceremony in New Delhi, where bands from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force perform.

R.K. Laxman Death Anniversary

 

R.K. Laxman, who passed away on 26 January 2015, was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator and humourist. He created the daily comic strip You Said It, in The Times of Indi, which started in 1951. It chronicled Indian life and politics through the eyes of the “common man,” a bulbous-nosed bespectacled observer dressed in a dhoti and a distinctive checked coat who served as a silent point-of-view character for readers.

Laxman’s “common man” was witty and sarcastic but never venomous, and his outlook was said to represent that of countless average Indians. The comic strip also served as the basis for a comedy series on Indian TV, R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya (2011–13).

Laxman published numerous short stories, essays, and travel articles, some of which were collected in The Distorted Mirror (2003). He also wrote the novels The Hotel Riviera (1988) and The Messenger (1993) and an autobiography, The Tunnel of Time (1998). In addition, numerous collections of Laxman’s cartoons were published. In 2005 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour.

Australia Day

 

Australia Day is held annually on January 26, commemorating the arrival of British ships to establish the first European settlement in Australia in 1788. These eleven ships carried over 750 criminals who had been tried and convicted in Great Britain for mostly petty crimes and then transported to penal colonies established by the British throughout the world, including North America and the Pacific. An additional 300 citizens from military and medical backgrounds made the trip to Australia, establishing the new colony.

Australia Day, in recent years, has become controversial because of a "change the date" campaign, the supporters of which demand the date of Australia Day be changed from January 26 to May 9.

On May 9 in 1901, Australia's first parliament was opened and the six British colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia. Significantly, the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people as the first people of Australia associate the day as the beginning of the time when they suffered massacres, land theft, stolen children and oppression.

Alternatively, there is an idea that Australia Day should be abolished as a national holiday, arguing that there is nothing to celebrate until more work is done towards bringing social justice for the indigenous people and acknowledging that the values the day celebrates, which includes equality, freedom and opportunity is not what many Australians experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adoption of Constitution of India in 1950

Republic Day in India commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950. While India gained independence from the British Raj in 1947, it wasn't until January 26, 1950, that the Constitution of India came into effect, and the country became a sovereign state, declaring it a republic. The Constituent Assembly held its first session on December 9, 1946, and the last on November 26, 1949, and then the Constitution was adopted a year later. Dr BR Ambedkar headed the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. On this day, India also marks Constitution Day, known as "Samvidhan Divas" as well.