IN DELHI
INDIA became a federal, democratic republic after its constitution came into effect on Jan 26, 1950.
Since then, the day has been celebrated every year with grand parades and cultural pageants in the national capital while parades and march pasts are also held in the state capitals to mark the day.
But it is the Delhi celebrations that etches a lasting memory in the mind of Indians. Witnessing the grand spectacle at least once was considered a must for Delhi residents. That was of course before the advent of the TV, which has brought the parade right into your drawing room.
The bitter winter cold is another excuse to remain at home.
But even then, the spectacle draws a huge crowd. People occupy every inch of space on the broad, tree-lined, lush manicured greens on either side of the majestic Rajpath, the central avenue, leading from Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace on Raisina Hills, to India Gate, the World War I memorial, 2.4 km straight down.
I don't think many of those who were there today would venture out next year. The fog — which is there every year — was exceptionally bad this time. It was so dense that visibility was reduced to a few meters. Driving with the hazards lights on and prayers on your lips must have been hell.
A lot of preparations go into the parade.
Construction of of the ceremonial platform from where the President takes the salute and the tiered wooden stands for the public all along Rajpath begins months before.
Then there are rehearsals and more rehearsals when roads are blocked to the curse of office-goers and even civilian air traffic is suspended for the fly-past rehearsal by the air force.
Just as India has changed unimaginably over the last 60 years — from a begging-bowl nation into a trillion-dollar economy — the character of the parade also has changed.
Obsolete weapons that the marching columns of soldiers carried in those days have given way to robust modern military muscle. The parade is used to exhibit various armaments in the country's arsenal, including missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.
While the weaponry is awe inspiring, equally impressive is the cultural pageants, including tableaux from various states show-casing their rich heritage.
The parade is not only meant to impress the nationals but also to send out a subtle message to the neighbourhood of the country's capabilities.
But it is not only the character of the Republic Day parade that has changed. The nation itself has changed and is changing and that means the people too.
Gone are the days when Indians, due to the abysmal poverty all around, felt an acute sense of guilt and inferiority complex.
A poll conducted by Reputation Institute, a US -based journal, recently was revealing. The poll was about how some countries perceived themselves in respect of "overall respect, trust, esteem, admiration and good feelings" and how others viewed them.
According to the poll, 82 per cent of Indians are basking in self-esteem. The corresponding figures for other countries were: China 79 per cent, US 77 per cent and Japan 57 per cent.
Writing in The Times of India, Swapan Dasgupta said: "The headlines that marks 60 years of the Indian Republic is a departure from the gloomy pessimism of earlier decades. Amid this high, it is easy to forget that not very long ago the haunting face of a hungry Indian child was used to guilt-trip the West into parting with loose change.
“My parents used to talk about the unspeakable horrors of the 1943 Bengal famine; I recall the grim shortages that marked the mid-1960s; my son, a product of the market economy, takes material comforts for granted."
He took words right out of my mouth.