COLLECTIONS AS A COMPENDIUM & REMEMBRANCE—FOR TOMORROW & YONDER:R.B.KISHORE,ED(Retd),LIC & VP,AIRIEF

1) In a first, 10 Heads of State, of ASEAN countries, will be chief guests at the parade

Sixty-nine years since the birth of its Constitution, the nation celebrates Republic Day on Friday with a grand parade at Rajpath. In a first, 10 Heads of State, of ASEAN countries, will be chief guests at the parade that will begin a little after 9 am this morning. At Rajpath, India will showcase its military might as well as its rich cultural heritage and traditions coupled with the latest initiatives and achievements. At the Republic Day parade, the ASEAN leaders will be accompanied by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Follow our LIVE updates as we get you the latest from Rajpath. Leading lights of the Constituent Assembly and their thoughts on Republic

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Republic Day parade 2018 LIVE updates: ASEAN marching contingents add colour at RajpathRepublic Day parade 2018 LIVE updates: At Rajpath, 10 Heads of States of ASEAN nations are chief guests. They are accompanied by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Follow for the latest Republic Day 2018 updates.

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By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Updated: January 26, 2018 11:30 am

Republic Day 2018 LIVE updates: Sixty-nine years since the birth of its Constitution, the nation celebrates Republic Day on Friday.

Sixty-nine years since the birth of its Constitution, the nation celebrates Republic Day on

Fridaywith a grand parade at Rajpath. In a first, 10 Heads of State, of ASEAN countries, are

chief guests at the parade. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday greeted

the nation this morning on the occasion.

At Rajpath, India showcased its military might as well as its rich cultural heritage and traditions

coupled with the latest initiatives and achievements.  Several states, organisations and

government departments also showcased their achievements through tableaux.

On the eve of Republic Day, President Ram Nath Kovind called for a “civic-minded” society

where one can disagree without “mocking” the other’s dignity, a social contract where

neighbours respect each other’s “space, privacy and rights.” This was President Kovind’s first

Republic Day address as President. In pictures: Republic Day celebrations  

Republic Day 2018 LIVE updates 11.24 am: Now, the flypast by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The ‘Rudra’ formation

comprising three ALH Mk IV WSI helicopters in ‘Vic’ formation, is  followed by the ‘Hercules’

formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in ‘Vic’ formation. Following close

behind is the ‘Netra’ an Airborne Early Warning and Control System Aircraft also known as

“Eye in the Sky”.

11.25 am: Other stunts being displayed by the ‘Seema Bhawani’ include Fish Riding, Side

Riding, Faulaad, Prachand Baalay Shaktiman, Four Harmony, Mobile PT, Bull Fighting,

Peacock, Sapt Rishi, Brahma Yog Guldasta, Wind Mill Formation, Seema Prahari, Bharat Ke

Mustaid Prahari, Sarhad Ke Nigheban and Flag March Pyramid.

11.20 am: The Women’s Motor Cycle team ‘Seema Bhawani’ of the Border Security Force

(BSF) is displaying formations for the audience. On of the main attractions this parade, they’re

showcasing different skills and stunts, including a Salute to President! The motorcycle team is

led by Sub Inspector Stanzin Noryang.

11.10 am: India’s ties with ASEAN are being showcased. Remember, this year marks 50

years of ASEAN’s incepton and 25 years of India’s partnership with the bloc. Leaders from the

10 countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos,

Myanmar and Vietnam, are seated among the audience witnessing the parade today.

India’s historical, educational, religious and cultural links with the ASEAN nations is being

showcased.

11.07 am: There are more than 800 boys and girls dancing in the parade now. They are

students of schools in Delhi.

11.05 am: Now, 18 children, including seven girls selected for the National Bravery Award

2017, will participate in the parade. Three of these children have been awarded posthumously.

11.00 am: A tableau showcases “Khelo India”, a national initiative of the government to

develop sports across the country. The tableau depicts various sports. The Ministry of Tribal

Affairs displays its flagship scheme Uchith Dam Hak Se Maang for minor forest produce sector.

10.55 am: The tableaux of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh roll down Rajpath. Manipur showcases

its most popular folktales of Khamba and Thoibi, while Gujarat depicts the Sabarmati Ashram,

which completes 100 years this year.

10.45 am: States and Union Territories roll down their individual tableaux, showcasing the

diverse historical, art and cultural heritage of the country. Uttarakhand focuses on rural tourism,

Karnataka its flaura and fauna (home to part of the Western Ghats!) and Tripura exhibits its

beauty and elegance. Maharashtra shows the coronation of Shivaji, while Lakshadweep shows

off its islands. The tableaux of Chhattisgarh, J&K and Assam roll down Rajpath as well.

10.40 am: An ASEAN tableau rolls down — this is the second to feature in the Republic

Day parade. The marching contingents wave the ASEAN flag as well as the flags of the 10

ASEAN countries.

10.36 am: The NCC Boys’ Band and the NCC Senior Division Boys Marching Contingent

are coming down Rajpath. They’re playing Kadam Kadam Badhay Ja. 

10.34 am: The next marching contingent is the Sashastra Seema Bal. They are

marching to Josh Bara Hai Seene Mey Hai Hathelyo Par Jaan. Their motto is Service, Security

and Brotherhood. This is followed by the marching contingent of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police

(ITBP), playing the famous Saare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara! The Delhi Police is next,

whose motto is ‘Shanti Seva Aur Nyaya’.

10.30 am: Did you know? The Camel mounted band of the Border Security Force

(BSF) is the only one of its kind across the world? It marches to the tune of Ham Hai Seema

Suraksha Bal. 

10.27 am: Paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces are marching down Rajpath. The

contingent includes the Border Security Force, Camel Contingents, Indian Coast Guard,

Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo Tibetan Border Police, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and

National Service Scheme.

10.25 am: An Indian Air Force Tableau rolls down Rajpath with the theme “Indian Air Force

Encouraging Indigenisation”. The models displayed in include the Tejas Multirole Fighter

Aircraft, Rudra Helicopter, Arudhra Radar and Akash missile system. The contingent comprises

144 men, led by Squadran Leader Attal Singh Shekhon. There are three women part of the

contingent as well.

10.23 am: The Naval Brass Band marches down Rajpath, playing Jai Bharati. The contingent

comprises 144 young sailors, led by Lieutenant Tushar Gautam. The tableau showcases the

combat potential of the multi-dimensional Indian Navy.

10.21 am: The tableau of Ex-Servicemen is marching under the theme “Veterans- an Asset

to the Nation.” The contingent comprises veterans including Marshal of Air Force Arjan Singh

DFC, Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw MC and Field Marshal KM Cariappa OBE of Indian

Army.

10.17 am: The marching contingent of the Army includes horse-mounted columns of the

61st Cavalry, the Punjab Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry, the Dogra Regiment, Ladakh Scouts,

the Regiment of Artillery and 123 Infantry Battalion – Territorial Army (Grenadiers). There is

also a tableau of Ex-Servicemen.

10.10 am: Showcasing her military might, the main draw of the Indian Army depicts the T-

90 tank (Bhishma), Ballway Machine Pikate (II/IIK), Brahmos Missile System, Weapon

Locating Radar (Swathi), Bridge Laying Tank T-72, Mobile Base Transceiver Station and Akash

Weapon System.

10.05 am: IAF Garud Commando Corporal Jyoti Prakash Nirala is posthumously awarded

the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award. He is awared for his role

during a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir where he single-handedly

gunned down two militants and injured two others. He is the first-ever IAF airman — the

equivalent of a jawan in Army — to get the gallantry medal for a ground combat operation.

10.00 am: Meanwhile, India just secured a spot in the semifinals of the ICC U19

World Cup, after beating Bangladesh. They’re set to play Pakistan in the semis on January 29.

Save the date!

9.52 am: President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-

President Venkaiah Naidu and the ASEAN leaders are seated at a dias to witness the

Republic Day parade. The President takes the salute to the National Anthem. The parade is about

to begin!

9.50 am: Former President Pranab Mukherjee takes to Twitter to wish everyone a happy

Republic Day. He tweetes, “I wish all Citizens at home & abroad, a very Happy #RepublicDay.

Let us all reaffirm our pledge to uphold the ideals enshrined in our Constitution & work towards

a strong & prosperous India.”

9.43 am: PM Modi is welcoming the ASEAN leaders. They will be seated on a bullet-proof

dias, from where they will watch the Republic Day parade. The marching contingents will bear

the ASEAN flag and the flags of the ASEAN countries this year as well.

9.40 am: President Ram Nath Kovind is being escorted to Rajpath by 46 Bodyguards on Bay

and Dark Bay coloured mounts. He will be seated on a dias along with the chief guests for the

event, the 10 ASEAN leaders. He will be accompanied by the Prime Minister and Vice-

President. The parade will begin shortly.

9.22 am: PM Modi arrives at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. He lays a wreath in respect to

the nation’s martyrs. At Amar Jawan, an eternal flame burns, and a reversed rifle standing on its

barrel and crested by a soldier’s helmet signifies the immortal soldier. Defence Minsiter Nirmala

Sitharaman, MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre and Chiefs of the Armed Forces are present along

with the PM.Republic Day 2018 LIVE updates: PM Modi at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate (Source: Twitter)

9.17 am: Rajpath is about to come alive with a showcase of India’s military might and

traditions coupled with the latest initiatives and achievements along with its rich diverse social

and cultural heritage. WATCH it LIVE here!

Republic Day 2018 LIVE updates: Delhi woke up to a cold morning (6*C) on Friday. Spectators seen huddled up before the Republic Day parade. (Express Photo/Tashi Tobgyal)

9.10 am: Google celebrates India’s Republic Day today with a colourful doodle. In a

post, Google says, “The geometrical shapes that form the Doodle’s background are inspired by

the vibrant colors and patterns of traditional hand-loom draperies from different states. The

foreground elements symbolize unique crafts, music and traditional practices from across the

country.”

9.05 am: If you’re at the Republic Day parade, you can deposit your remote control car keys

— which are not allowed at the venue — at a facility set up in the Parking Area. There are two

booths, one on the South side of Rajpath and another on the North of Rajpath.

Republic Day 2018 LIVE updates: Spectators wait for the Republic Day parade to commence in Rajpath, New Delhi, on Friday (Express Photo/Tashi Tobgyal)

8.58 am: Delhi traffic update: The national capital has been put under a blanket of

security for Republic Day. The parade will move from Vijay Chowk towards the Red Fort via

Rajpath, India Gate, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg. For

smooth passage, authorities have beefed up security and barred traffic movement in these areas.

Here’s everything you need to know about the major traffic diversions, road services and

metro timings across the city.

8.54 am: In a opinion column in The Indian Express today, Suhas Palshikar identifies four

core challenges to the idea of republic. “Creating it was an act of audacity. Maintaining it is

proving to be a daunting task,” he writes, in the column titled ‘Keeping the Republic‘.

Palshikar a professor of political science and the co-director of Lokniti programme, CSDS.

Also read | Republic Day: How and why it is celebrated in other countries

8.45 am: In his speech to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, President Ram Nath Kovind

said, “A civic-minded nation is built by civic-minded neighbourhoods, whether in our cities or

our villages. Where we respect the next-door person’s space, privacy and rights.”

“Where we do not inconvenience our neighbours — while celebrating a festival or while

resorting to a protest or on any other occasion. Where one can disagree with another viewpoint

— or even with a historical context — without mocking a fellow citizen’s dignity and personal

space. This is fraternity in action,” he added. Read the full text of his speech here.8.40 am: Yesterday, on the eve of Republic Day, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had

wished the nation and called on the people to defend the treasured commitments — justice,

liberty, equality, fraternity. “More than ever before in the history of our young nation, we must

defence these treasured commitments,” he wrote, in a letter to the nation.

3)

Names of Padma Shri awardees released on R-Day eve: Many unsung heroes in this year's listPTI|Updated: Jan 25, 2018, 10.07 PM IST

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This year's Padma awards honour many who have been serving the poor away from the limelight.

NEW DELHI: Keeping its promise of honouring "unsung heroes", the government today announced Padma Shri awards for personalities who served the poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally. 

Lakshmikutty, a tribal woman from Kerala, who prepares 500 herbal medicine from memory and help thousands of people especially in snake and insect bite cases, is among the awardees. 

She teaches at Kerala Folklore Academy and lives in a small hut made of palm leaves roof in tribal settlement in a forest. She is the only tribal woman from her area to attend

school in the 1950s. 

Arvind Gupta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus who inspired generations of students to learn science from thrash, has also been honoured with Padma Shri. 

Gupta visited 3,000 schools in four decades, made 6,200 short films on toy-making in 18 languages and also hosted popular TV show Tarang in 1980s. 

Internationally-acclaimed Gond artist Bhajju Shyam has also been awarded the Padma Shri. 

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Shyam is famous for depicting Europe through Gond paintings, a tribal style of painting of Madhya Pradesh. Born in a poor tribal family, he worked as a night guard and electrician to support family before becoming a professional artist. 

His 'The London Jungle Book' sold 30,000 copies and it was published in five foreign languages. 

West Bengal's Sudhanshu Biswas, a 99-year-old freedom fighter who serves poor, runs school and orphanages and set up free school for poor, is also among the winners. 

Kerala's medical messiah to terminally ill, M R Rajagopal, has also been honoured with Padma Shri. 

Rajagopal has specialised in pain relief care for neo natal cases. 

Since last year, the Modi government has been honouring "unsung heroes" with the Padma awards to recognise people who have dedicated their lives to working for the poor or have risen from deprived backgrounds to excel in their own fields. 

Maharashtra's Murlikant Petkar, India's first para- Olympic gold medalist, who lost his arm in 1965 Indo-Pak war, is another winner of the Padma Shri. 

Tamil Nadu's Rajagopalan Vasudevan, who is known as plastic road-maker of India, developed a patented and innovative method to reuse plastic waste to construct roads, has also been given the Padma Shri. 

Subhasini Mistry, a poor lady from rural West Bengal, who toiled 20 years as housemaid and daily labourer to build a hospital for poor in the state, is another awardee. 

Nonagenarian farm labourer Sulagatti Narasamma, who provides midwifery services in backward region of Karnataka without any medical facility, too was awarded the Padma Shri. 

Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan, an acclaimed Tamil folk exponent, who has dedicated her life towards collection, documentation and preservation of Tamil folk and tribal music, has also been given Padma Shri. 

Another awardee is Yeshi Dhoden, monk physician of Tibetan herbal medicine working in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh. 

Lentina Ao Thakkar, a Gandhian who has served for decades at a Gandhi Ashram in Nagaland; Romulus Whaitaker, a wildlife conservationist working in Andaman Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu; have also been named for the Padma Shri awards. 

Rani and Abhya Bang, both doctors, who over 30 years transformed health care in Naxal-hit Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, will get the Padma Shri. 

Maharashtra's Sampat Ramteke, a sickle cell torchbearer, and Nepal's Sanduk Ruit, an ophthalmologist who exports low cost cataract surgery lenses to 30 countries, have been honoured with Padma Shri. 

Lucknow's Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri, who translated over 700 Shlokas of Bhagwad Gita from Sanskrit to Urdu, will also be given the Padma Shri. 

Karnataka's Ibrahim Sutar, a singer and icon of Hindu- Muslim unity; Bihar's Manas Bihari Verma, a former programme director of Tejas, India's first indigenous multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft; are the other names selected for the Padma Shri. 

Sitavva Joddati, who champions women development and empowerment, especially 'Devadasis' and Dalits; Nouf Marwaai, the first yoga instructor of Saudi Arabia who played an instrumental role in legalising yoga in that country, will be given the Padma Shri. 

98-year-old V Nanammal, India's oldest yoga teacher, who still practices and teaches 100 students daily in Tamil Nadu, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. 

4)

GROUND-TO-AIR SECURITY COVER IN DELHI AHEAD OF R-DAY

Thursday, 25 January 2018 | PTI | New Delhi

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The national capital has been brought under a

ground-to-air security cover in view of the

Republic Day celebrations and the visit of

10 ASEAN leaders for a high-profile summit

here, a senior police official said today.

Thousands of armed personnel have been

keeping a tight vigil for Republic Day in Delhi

and in border areas of the city to ensure a

smooth passage of the celebrations tomorrow.

Additional security personnel will be deployed on high- rises with anti-aircraft guns, the official said.

CCTV cameras have been installed and control rooms have been set up to monitor the feed from the

cameras. Police officials were maintaining a tight vigil at strategic points.

All market places have been put on alert and Delhi Police teams were carrying out security audits.

The police has deployed dog squads in key market areas.

Leaves of police personnel have been cancelled, the official said.

The entire central and New Delhi region will have nearly 50,000 security personnel drawn from the

Delhi Police and the central security forces. Several security layers have been put in place and Delhi

Police personnel along with paramilitary and NSG commandos have been deployed.

The visiting ASEAN leaders, after attending an ASEAN summit here today, will be the chief guests at

the Republic Day parade tomorrow.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a multilateral body, comprising Thailand,

Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.  

5)[Category Ind]

A day after violent protests rocked the country against the screening of a film, including an attack on a Gurgaon school bus with children on board, President Ram Nath Kovind weighed in calling for a “civic-minded” society where one can disagree without “mocking” the other’s dignity.

Read full text of the President's speech

6)

January

 26, 1978, Forty Years Ago: President’s SpeechWhile everyone is entitled to freedom of expression in appropriate forums, no one should be permitted to drag each and every issue to the streets, excite dormant passions, advocate disrespect for law and order and incite violence, President Sanjiva Reddy said

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By: Editorial | Published: January 26, 2018 12:15 am

Express front page forty years ago

President Sanjiva Reddy, in his Republic Day message to the nation, expressed serious

concern over attempts by some frustrated and desperate elements who, he said, “are determined

to scuttle the principles of our democratic way of life and destroy the very fabric of our secular

society”. While everyone is entitled to freedom of expression in appropriate forums, no one

should be permitted to drag each and every issue to the streets, excite dormant passions, advocate

disrespect for law and order and incite violence, Reddy said. He said a policy of unwarranted

confrontation backed by provocative action on the slighest pretext is a challenge we as citizens

of a free country need to face with determination. “Let not a few misguided and disgruntled

sections of society imagine that they can hold the rest of us, law-abiding citizens, to ransom.”

And he warned, “Swift and stern action will be taken against any one acting in a manner judicial

to national interest.”

Focus On Cong FlagThe Home Minister has proposed that the Congress party flag be replaced because it resembles

the national flag. In a communication to the Law Ministry, Charan Singhhas said it is very

confusing for the police and the public and that the authorities have found it difficult to

distinguish between the Congress flag and the national flag. Both the Congress flag and the

national flag are a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and

dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. However, in the centre of the white band of the

national flag, there is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra, a design that appears on the

abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of the Mauryan emperor, Asoka. Before the 1952 elections,

the Socialist Party of India had raised objection against the use of the tricolour flag by the

Congress, but at that time the Election Commission paid no heed to the objection.

7)Here are some top quotes about India spoken by great personalities.

 

Republic Day honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26

January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document

of India. Celebrated across India, the main Republic Day celebration is held in the

national capital, New Delhi, at the Rajpath before the President of India.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as the nation's first President back then and ever since then this day holds great significance to us.

BR Ambedkar: “Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of Age."Bal Gangadhar Tilak: "Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it."

Netaji Subash Chandra Bose: “Freedom is not given, it is taken.”

Mahatma Gandhi: “You must be the change you want to see in the World”

Sardar Patel: "Every Indian should now forget that he is a Rajput, a Sikh or a Jat. He must remember that he is an Indian."

Indira Gandhi: “Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood… will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic.”

Swami Vivekananda: “Let new India arise out of peasants cottage, grasping the plough, out of huts, cobbler and sweeper.”

Bhagat Singh: "The sanctity of law can be maintained only so as long as it is the expression of the will of the people"

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee: "Patriotism is religion and religion is love for India"

Chandra Shekhar Azad: "If yet your blood does not rage, then it is water that flows in your veins. For what is the flush of youth, if it is not of service to the motherland."

Jawaharlal Nehru: "Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge... At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom."

8)

Watch: How India's first Republic Day unfolded in 1950 in London

IndiaToday.in New Delhi

January 26, 2018 UPDATED 15:38 IST

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High Commissioner to UK VK Krishna Menon reads the Proclamation at India House in London on January 26, 1950.Today happens to the 69th Republic Day for India. A lot has changed in these 68 years, even in means of which this day is celebrated; the parades are more grandeur, the technology is more advanced, etc.On this day in 1950, the year India officially became a republic, here's how the ceremony went down in London.Shared by YouTube channel British Pathe, this video here captures the historic moments when High Commissioner to UK VK Krishna Menon read the Proclamation at India House in London, away from the celebrations in Delhi.This rare video shows Menon taking oath of allegiance as India becomes a sovereign democratic republic; "The Pledge taken long ago is fulfilled and every Indian wherever he may be has a new status as a citizen of a republic. This brings new rights... to live as free men and women," says Menon.Watch the entire video here:9)

Keeping the republicCreating it was an act of audacity. Maintaining it is proving to be a daunting task

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Written by Suhas Palshikar  | Updated: January 26, 2018 8:55 am

There has been a grievous mismatch between the ambitions of the founding fathers and the will of

members of the new republic.RELATED NEWS

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Benjamin Franklin is said to have made this observation on the American constitution: “A

republic if you can keep it”. It was as much a comment on ability as it was on intent. Republics

are easy to form; they are difficult to sustain. Republics can be sustained in a formal manner

more easily than they can be sustained in their content. A majority of the countries claim to be

republics but republicanism eludes many of them.

Follow Republic Day 2018 LIVE UpdatesLike every year, the Republic Day this year too would be full of a display of India’s cultural

heritage and military might. Cities and states will compete with each other to raise the mast

higher to hoist the flag. But the Franklin poser could still not be easily avoided. Our founding

fathers gave us a republican constitution but all they could hope was that a civic virtue, necessary

for republicanism to strike roots, would be cultivated by the recipients of the benefits of the

republic.

Dr Ambedkar warned that “however good a constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad

because those who are called to work it, are a bad lot”. He did not refer merely to elected

representatives or the “rulers”, but to the incomplete project of transforming people into citizens.

Therefore, Republic Day, just as it brings celebrations and pronouncements of pride in the might

of the state, exhorts us to introspect on the fragile republican culture that would undercut the

formal edifice of the republic. At least four core challenges to the idea of republic can be

identified.

The first concerns the distortions of democracy. Among the more glaring, we can list

majoritarianism, rise of vigilantism and institutional corrosion. As democracy gets converted into

shows of numerical strength, the capacity to negotiate and deliberate drowns under the noise of

numbers. This trait gives way to an anarchic articulation of vigilantism by protectors of various

causes, rejecting the idea of rule of law. Both a cause and an effect of this is the all-round

corrosion of institutions. It would be tough to identify institutions that continue to enjoy and

consolidate confidence in their institutional practices and in their capacity to deliver. There is an

inter-institution competition to display their flair for failure. From media to military and from

administration to adjudication, we seem to be witnessing non-performance, transgressions,

disconnects or betrayals. The republic is besieged with misplaced cultural priorities, bragging

generals and brawling judges. The republic crumbles when statesmanship stops at showmanship,

politics breeds fear and institutions fail to strengthen norms and procedures.

The second challenge pertains to citizenship itself. As Ambedkar presciently warned, caste and

community intervene in the shaping of citizenship. Seven decades down the line, the fortresses of

community have become more impenetrable. In today’s India, nobody can criticise, comment or

censure the practices of “another” community of which she is not part. On the other hand,

insiders can only uphold and celebrate the practices and symbols of the community.

Communities are beyond debate and criticism; they exist as sacred and protected enclaves where

outsiders are barred from entry (save for glorification) and members are imprisoned inside.

Relations among communities are also marked by mutual suspicion. This is not confined only to

Hindu-Muslim relations; even among castes, relations are, more often than not, competitive. The

violence a few years ago between the Gurjjars and Meenas or the violence during the Jat

agitation in Haryana are cases in point. Religious minorities are vulnerable to riots and pogroms,

Adivasis face repression from expanding capitalism and Dalits continue to be subjects of

humiliation and violence from upper and middle castes. As a result, individuals are unable to

transcend their group identity or link their group identity to their identity as citizens. Caste-

community based separation, suspicion and violence ensure that the idea of citizenship becomes

a chimera. Rather than pursuing the agenda of social justice, caste action often culminates in

consolidating identities, constructing symbols and creating boundaries made from cultural

universes.

In this situation, it is near impossible that any idea of common or public good would emerge and

sustain. So, the third challenge emerges from the absence of a shared vision of what constitutes

public good. Communities are so clearly separated that each entertains a separate notion of what

constitutes the “public” and therefore, what public good is. Given the fragmentation of the public

and impossibility of common good, all politics and policymaking takes the form of a cynical

exercise of balancing competing expectations. But the more serious casualty in this process is the

loss of the idea of commonwealth which is at the core of a republic.

Finally, our republic suffers from the inability to evolve public reason. Legislatures fail to

debate; television debates have become notorious for their decibel capacity rather than

deliberative power; nothing debatable can be presented in textbooks; academic seminars are

monitored for who the participants will be; attacking meetings of rival viewpoints is a common

political act; banning works of art, literature, and academic value is the national passion across

the political spectrum. Demands by almost every social section often lack in legitimacy. If

communities could be imagined as persons, we might equate ourselves to the Hobbesian

situation of being utterly limited in our view of self-interest. So, the problem is not merely the

inability to evolve procedures and terms of debate, it is about foreclosing the possibility of

debate because we are unwilling to accept that the nation is the common property of all citizens.

Obviously, republics are not made in heaven nor do they always grow out of readymade social

homogeneity. The creation of India’s republic was indeed an audacious attempt because of the

many social schisms. But the audacity shown by the founding fathers in creating the republic

needed to be matched by the sustained collective audacity to “keep the republic”.

There has been a grievous mismatch between the ambitions of the founding fathers and the will

of members of the new republic. The social structure was an impediment in the republican

project, as Ambedkar pointed out, but the skills of the political process and the willingness of the

collective must have been wanting too. So, on each Republic Day, the nagging question would

be this: The constituent assembly gave us the republic, but do we really want to keep it?The writer taught political science at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, and is co-director of Lokniti programme, CSDS, and chief editor of ‘Studies in Indian Politics’

10)COLLECTIONS AS A COMPENDIUM & REMEMBRANCE—FOR TOMORROW & YONDER:

A GREAT NATIONAL DAY MUST BE IN THE LIPS OF EVERY INDIAN

THOUGH PAINSTAKING,TIMECONSUMING,YET ONCE A YEAR

TOUCHING ,STIRRING EVENT,WITH REMEMBRANCES OF THE

PAST,RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PRESENT & A REDISCOVERY 

OF FUTURE,SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, IF WE ALL,WHATEVER WE 

ARE,WHEREVER WE ARE, ACT AS TRUE INDIANS,WITH A STRONG 

&BINDING CULTURE,SHUNNING ALL ISMS & NEW ISMS RAISING

ITS UGLY HEAD,BUT ONLY CLINGING TO PATRIOT  ISM,ENERGY

WILL REDOUBLE TO SYNERGY,1+1=2 IN MATHEMATICS BUT 3 IN 

MANAGEMENT & MARKETING,RESPECT THE EMBLEM & THE 

LOGO, HAVE REVERENCE TO OUR TRICOLOUR NATIONAL FLAG 

& NATIONAL ANTHEM,FOR SURE & CERTAIN, A GREAT FUTURE 

WILL LIE AHEAD,TO BE WINESSED & EXPERIENCED BY THE 

MIDDLE,YOUNG & YOUNGEST GENERATION,

WA, HOW PROUD WE CAN BE & WILL BE,LEAVE FOOTPRINTS IN 

THE SANDS OF TIME, ETCH THE WORLD AS A POWER, 

DISPLAYING UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS TO BE EMULATED BY 

OTHERS, & EMITTING BEAUTY, BRILLIANCE,SPLENDOUR & 

LUSTRE ALL AROUND THE GLOBE

THINK &WORK TO MAKE THIS SANKALPA,OPTIM ISM & 

REALISM

BECOME A REALITY .

----R.B.KISHORE,

      ED(Retd),LIC

     VP,AIRIEF 

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