What is the Importance of India's Republic Day?

Cambodian students in New Delhi, 27 Jan 2020.

Republic Day is a national holiday in commemoration of the Constitution of India. The very special enthusiasm about the celebration of Republic Day is a special guest from a foreign country and parade in the Indian capital with the presence of several thousand people.

Republic Day is a commemoration of the day when the Constitution of India was promulgated throughout the country from 26 January 1950 onwards, instead of the Government of India (1935) as the Governor of India.

India gained independence on 15 August 1947 from the British colony through the Indian Independence Movement. This independence came from the 1935 Indian Independence Act, a law of the British Parliament that separated India under British colonies into two independent states: India and Pakistan.

India gained independence from the British colony on August 15, 1947, as a constitutional monarch, with King George VI as head of state and Admiral of the fleet, the Earl Mountbatten, as Governor-General. But India does not have a permanent constitution, only the rule of the country as amended from the 1935 Indian Government Act. In August 1947, a decision was made to establish a Constitution Drafting Committee to write a permanent constitution drafted by Dr R.B. Ambedkar, who recognized him as Father of the Constitution of India.

The celebration of India's Independence Day is to celebrate the day India gained freedom from British colonial rule, while the Republic of India Day is to celebrate the day India officially promulgates the Constitution. On the promulgation of the new constitution, the first president of India came to power: the Constituent Assembly and the Constituent Assembly. It is noteworthy that from 1950 to 2020, the Indian constitution has been amended 104 times.

Celebration

The most important Republic Day celebration was held in New Delhi at Rajpath (King Street) in front of the President of India. Today, a parade was held along Rajpath Road to showcase India's rich culture and rich cultural heritage. It is a testament to India's diversity and rich cultural heritage.

The program is organized by the Ministry of Defense. The parade begins in full view from the Rashtrapati Bhawan (The President House) at Raisina Hill towards India Gate, on Rajpath Road. The event was a highlight of the Indian Republic Day, which lasted for three days. It is also an opportunity for India to showcase the power and strength of its modern-day military and showcase its rich cultural heritage to a world-wide, organized, or decorative group. Highly customizable with a view to visit.

In addition, the government took the occasion to award and promote the Indian military with good performance in its profession and mission.

More specifically, the day commemorates the leaders of the Indian government, respects the spirit of its constitution and directs the nation not to deviate from the constitution. Because on this occasion we have seen readings of the Constitution of India by some politicians and university students recalling the essence of this constitution to the ruling party after the amendment of the new law (CAA, NRC) thought to be devoid of the national constitution.

Prince Norodom Sihanouk and Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, New Delhi, 1963.

Special Guests in the Republic Day Parade

Another important part of the Republic Day celebration is India's special guest. Since 1950, India has invited other heads of state or governments of the state as guests of state for the celebration of the Republic Day in New Delhi.

The guest country was chosen after a debate on the strategic, economic and political benefits. During the 1950s and 1970s, some of the members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Eastern Bloc were hosted by India as special guests.

In particular, the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia has only been invited to attend the Indian Republic Day parade twice since 1950. The first one was in 1963 when King Norodom Sihanouk attended a special ceremony to mark the occasion, marking the close friendship between the two countries.

The second one was in 2018 when Prime Minister Hun Sen, as head of government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was invited by India to this event among nine other ASEAN Heads of State reflecting India's foreign policy direction which gives it focuses on relations with ASEAN.

In 2020, the President of Brazil, Jair M. Bolsonaro, is a special guest in the 71st Republic Day parade, with many people in attendance.

Cambodian students took a picture with Indian army personnel, New Delhi, 27 Jan 2020.

Cambodian Youth and the Republic Day 2020

On this occasion, Cambodian youths tried to attend the Indian Republic Day parade at Rajpath Road. Five Cambodian youths, students at the universities in New Delhi, and a young man from Cambodia to join in a short course in New Delhi celebrated the Indian Republic Day with great enthusiasm, friendship and fraternity.

Even though they did not reach the venue, they congratulated the Indians on the historic day that India announced its constitution, the country's supreme law.

We, these five Cambodians 😊, have solemnly read the Preamble of Indian Constitution and have recognised that India is a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic country assuring justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.