When did you celebrate Republic day last time? -Governance Now

When did you celebrate Republic day last time?

As it happens in north India, 26th January is generally a cold day. In the hills, where I did my schooling from, the republic day eve would either see an overcast sky or it would be raining.

Aasha Khosa | January 25, 2017 | New Delhi

#Rajpath #Delhi #parade #Republic Day #Kashmir

When did I celebrate Republic day last time? I am thinking about it while negotiating my way through a pin bend curve and the next one created by iron barricades that the police had put up on an east Delhi road. Three of them look at me, mercifully, not so disapprovingly.

It’s time for the annual security drill for Republic day in the national capital and the face-off between the police and the citizens.

Not that I mind the scrutiny, the road blocks and all the inconvenience after having braved much more during 10 years of my stay as a journalist in Kashmir. In the Valley, searches of houses and frisking and even identification of militants would begin a month in advance that too in the sub-zero temperature. On the R-day, on one hand, I would thank my stars after emerging unscathed from the official function which was always held under threats of being bombed and on the other felt humiliated at separatists - whose hearts beat for Pakistan - mocking at the very idea of India.

For the generation next, Republic day is a much awaited holiday; and time for the families to check on the discounted sales in the shopping malls with the catchy tricolour soaked ambience.

After making it through the naka, I wondered where the joy of participating in the Republic day celebrations of my childhood years had gone?

It used to take teachers months to cobble a team to represent our schools in the cultural competition on the day. As students, we begged for a small role in a skit, a dance or a chorus which was followed by weeks of practice. Those who didn’t participate in the cultural show would be content to be part of the marching contingent and saluting the national flag in the morning.

Preparation would spill over to the homes, with parents helping children ready the suitable dress for the cultural show and whiten the uniforms with lemon juice, bleaching agent etc. Mothers often worried about early transportation of children to school and everyone joined in efforts put up a decent show.

As it happens in north India, 26th January is generally a cold day. In the hills, where I did my schooling from, the republic day eve would either see an overcast sky or it would be raining. Our hearts would beat fast at the first sign of freak weather. A classmate told me the trick to beat the weather God who was trying to play spoilsport with the show. She suggested that all of us should go to the terrace late night, try to spot a star in the clouds and while looking at it make a knot in the kerchief. This, she said, would blow away the clouds by the morning.

Even if it could get us punishment from parents, we managed to sneak out of homes in the forbidden hour and go to the terrace in search of the elusive star. It worked.

The nostalgia of the day would cling to our minds till the next celebration. The next day would be a holiday, the much-needed one to sleep and get out of the fatigue.

As against this, my daughter’s school would be off on the Republic day due to security restrictions.

Being the daughter of two journalists, she had seen the grandiose Republic day parade at Rajpath in Delhi once; she would often describe her experience of seeing three colour spewing jets that created a tricolour in the skies. How often I thought of taking her again to the official celebration but was dissuaded by the sheer complexity of logistics.

Anyway happy republic day to all!

Comments

Other News

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.” No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP

Labour law in India: A decade of transition

The story of labour law in India is not just about laws and codes, but also about how the nation has continued to negotiate the position of the workforce within its economic framework. The implementation of the Labour Codes across the country in November 2025 marks a definitive endpoint in the process. Yet