The birth of Indian Republic and the installation of its first BIHARI President Dr. Rajendra Prasad were announced by a salute of 31 guns shortly after 10-30 a.m.

         

Dr. Rajendra Prasad giving speech on
the first Republic Day of India

It was on 26 January, 1950 that the constitution of India came into force and India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic. It was on the same day that Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as the first President of India. Read here the first speech delivered by Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the President of India on 26th January, 1950.

Unforgettable scenes of enthusiasm and rejoicing marked the beginning of a new era in Indian History when the Republic of India was born with the swearing in of Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the as the first President.

At the most solemn ceremony, held in the brilliantly lit and high domes of Durbar Hall at Government House, India was declared a Sovereign Democratic Republic exactly at eighteen minutes past ten on the morning of Thursday, January 26, 1950. Six minutes later, Dr. Rajendra Prasad sworn in as the President.

The simple and yet grand ceremony of the Durbar Hall, the excitement of hundreds of thousands of people lining the five-mile route through which the President drove in state and the spectacularly colourful parade at Irwin Stadium, where the President hoisted the Union Flag and took the salute, will remain in the peoples' memory for long.

The swearing-in ceremony at Government House and the accompanying functions were very impressive. The retiring Governor-General, Mr. C. Rajagopalachari, read out the proclamation of the Republic of "India, that is, Bharat".

"Whereas the people of India, having into a Sovereign Democratic Republic, adopted, enacted and gave to themselves on the twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, in their Constituent Assembly the Constitution of India;

"And whereas it has been declared by the said Constitution that India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States comprising within the Union the territories which were hitherto the Governor's provinces, the Indian States and the Chief Commissioners' provinces;

"And whereas this, the twenty sixth day of January 1950, has been fixed for the commencement of the said Constitution;

"Now, therefore, it is hereby proclaimed that on the from this, the twenty sixth day of January, 1950, India, that is Bharat, shall be a Sovereign Democratic Republic, and the Union and its component units, the States, shall exercise all powers and functions of government and administration in accordance with the provisions of the said Constitution."

First president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad has his name written as the pioneers of Indian republic and he is the one who drafted India’s first constitution. Apart from all, among all 12 Presidents till today, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the only one who has been elected twice as the President of India. Being the key campaigner of Gandhi’s Independence Movement, his dedicated life for India’s progress has always sounded in his speech. The ever first Indian Republic day speech by Dr. Rajendra Prasad first addressed the crowd in Hindi and then in English. He said, 

हमारे गणराज्य का उद्देश्य है इसके नागरिकों के लिए न्याय, स्वतंत्रता और समता प्राप्त करना तथा इस विशाल देश की सीमाओं में निवास करने वाले लोगों में भ्रातृ-भाव बढ़ाना, जो विभिन्न धर्मों को मानते हैं, अनेक भाषाएँ बोलते हैं और अपने विभिन्न रीति-रिवाजों का पालन करते हैं। हम सभी देशों के साथ मित्रता करके रहना चाहते हैं। हमारे भावी कार्यक्रमों में रोग, गरीबी और अज्ञान का उन्मूलन शामिल है।

हम उन सभी विस्थापित लोगों को फिर से बसाने तथा उन्हें फिर से स्थिरता देने के लिए चिंतित हैं, जिन्होंने बड़ी मुसीबतें सही हैं और हानियाँ उठाई हैं और जो अभी भी मुसीबत में हैं। जो लोग किसी प्रकार के अधिकारों से वंचित हैं, उन्हें विशेष सहायता मिलनी चाहिए।

इस लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए यह आवश्यक है कि हम उस स्वतंत्रता को सुरक्षित रखें, जो आज हमें प्राप्त है लेकिन राजनीतिक स्वतंत्रता के समान ही आर्थिक और सामाजिक स्वतंत्रता भी समय की माँग है। वर्तमान हमसे अतीत की अपेक्षा भी अधिक निष्ठा और बलिदान माँग रहा है।

मैं आशा और प्रार्थना करता हूँ कि हमें जो अवसर मिला है, हम उसका उपयोग करने में समर्थ हो सकेंगे। हमें अपनी सारी भौतिक और शारीरिक शक्तियाँ अपनी जनता की सेवा में लगा देनी चाहिए। मैं यह भी आशा करता हूँ कि इस शुभ और आनंदमय दिवस के आगमन पर खुशियाँ मनाती हुई जनता अपनी जिम्मेदारी का अनुभव करेगी और अपने आपको फिर उस लक्ष्य की पूर्ति के लिए समर्पित कर देगी, जिसके लिए राष्ट्रपिता जिए, काम करते रहे और मर गए।’

"Today for the first time in our long and chequered history we find the whole of this vast land from Kashmir in the north to Cape Comorin in the South, from Kathiawad and Cutch in the west Coconada and Kamrup in the east, brought together under the jurisdiction of one Constitution and one Union which takes over the responsibility for the welfare of more than 320 million men and women that inhabit it. Its administration will now be carried on by its people and for its people. This country has great natural resources, and now has come to it the great opportunity to make its vast population happy and prosperous and to make it own contribution to the establishment of peace in the world."

The state drive started exactly at 2-30 p.m. The thirty-five year old coach specially renovated for the occasion bearing the new emblem of Asoka's capital and drawn by six sturdy Australian horses carried the President and drove out of Government House at a slow trot, escorted by the President's bodyguard.
All along the route the President was welcomed by shouts of "Jai". Thousands of people had assembled and had occupied the streets, roofs, tree tops and all available vantage points along the route right from Government House to the Irwin Stadium.

The President responded to the greetings of the people with folded hands. The drive ended exactly at 3-45 p.m. at Irwin Stadium where three thousand Officers and men of the three Armed Services of India and the Police with massed bands had taken positions for the Ceremonial Parade. Here 15,000 people watched one of the most magnificent military parades in India's recent history.

Standing in an Army jeep and accompanied, Brig. J.S. Dhillon, the President inspected the Parade and went round the main stands, later taking the Salute at the march past.

Consisting of the units of the Navy, Infantry and Cavalry Regiments, Services Contingents, the Air Force, a Boys' units of the Punjab Regiment and the Police, the Parade combined colour with precision, which the appreciative crowd acknowledge with repeated cheers. Seven massed bands, representing the Navy, the Army, the Air Force and the Police, provided music, the quality of which fitted with the general excellent pattern of the entire ceremony.

Among the most impressive items in the programme was the firing of "feu-de-joie", combined with the National Anthem, while at a little distance guns boomed a salute of the President.

Millions of people participated in the celebrations on this historic occasion all over India and the proclamation of Indian Republic was read out in all the States of the Indian Union.

Indians overseas did not lag behind in expressing their enthusiasm on this memorable occasion; wherever in the world there was a group of Indians, they celebrated the occasion in a befitting manner.
Messages of goodwill were received from the heads of States of almost all the countries of the world.











source:This article first appeared in Fauji Akhbar (now renamed Sainik Samachar) February 4, 1950.