Republic Day Titbits

S Balakrishnan
On 26th January 2025, India completes 75 years as a Republic. This will be the 76th Republic Day ceremony, beginning with the inauguration on 26 January 1950.
Four stamps were issued by the Postal Department to commemorate the inauguration of our republic; these thematic stamps were issued in dull single colour in denominations of 12, 4, 3 ½ and 2 annas, depicting charka and cloth, corn and plough, rejoicing crowds and quill, ink container and verse. The verse was “Raghupati Raghav Rajaram, Patitpavan Sitaram”, Gandhiji’s favourite prayer song to bring about reconciliation among Hindus and Muslims.
New coins were, however, issued only on 15th Aug. 1950 with the Lion Emblem on the obverse (front) in the denomination of 1, ½, & ¼ rupee (these three had the value on the reverse), 2, 1, and ½ anna (these three had the Bull image on the reverse), and one pice (with the Horse image on the reverse). The Bull & Horse were also taken from the Ashokan Lion Pillar.
The notable difference is that while on Republic Day the Tricolour is unfurled, it is hoisted on Independence Day. The unfurling of Tricolor on Republic Day is done by the President at the National capital and by the Governors at State capitals. The hoisting of Tricolor on Independence Day is done by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of Red Fort in Delhi and by the Chief Ministers at the State capitals.
But this was not so up to 1973; while in Delhi it was the President on R-Day and PM on I-Day, in State capitals it was the Governor on both the occasions. As the CM of Tamil Nadu for the second time, Shri M Karunanidhi (of DMK party, and the father of the present CM of Tamil Nadu, Mr MK Stalin, and the grandfather of the present Dy CM of TN, Mr Udhayanidhi), took up this issue with the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in February 1974. He argued that as in the case of Prime Minister hoisting the National flag on Independence Day in the National capital as the representative of the Nation’s people, the Chief Minister, who is the chief representative of the people of the State concerned, should legitimately have the right to hoist the tricolour on I-Day in State capitals. ‘The present practice was a discrimination against the Chief Ministers and the federal structure of the Nation’, he pointed out in his communication to the Centre and demanded change of protocol. Maybe Indira was in a good mood, hence this was agreed upon and in July of that year the Centre announced that while the Governor of a State will unfurl the tricolor on Republic Day, the CM will hoist it on I-Day. And that is how since August 1974 the State CMs are hoisting the National flag on I-Day in State capitals. So, thanks, once again, to Karunanidhi !
The inaugural Republic Day ceremony was held not at Raj Path but at Irwin Stadium, and not in the morning but in the evening at about 4 pm, because Shri Rajendra Prasad took oath of office as the first President of India only on the morning of 26th January 1950. And it was not the President but an officer of Indian Air Force who unfurled the Tricolor at the mast ! The ceremonial parade was commanded by Brigadier JS Dhillon. It is notable that parking spaces were earmarked for bicycles and tongas (horse carts) on the occasion.

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