It was on January 26, 1950, when India formally became a Republic, Sovereign, and Democratic country and adopted its Constitution. And so, in honour of this historic event, India is celebrating its 74th Republic Day this year. Every year, Republic Day is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm by the citizens of the country. On this day, patriotism is in the air. People remember and pay their respects to the freedom fighters and leaders who not only fought for the country's freedom from the British Raj but also helped in shaping it and bringing it on the path to glory. On this day, the President of India unfurls the national flag on Kartavya Path (formerly known as Rajpath) in New Delhi. This is followed by a grand parade that displays India's rich cultural and powerful military heritage. Beautiful tableaux that give a glimpse of India's varied culture and traditions are showcased in this parade. Many prominent leaders, politicians, and dignitaries- from other countries too- attend this parade in the national capital.
On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day of India, here we list down memorable quotes by famous personalities, some of whom are also authors.
1. “We are Indians, firstly and lastly.” – B.R. Ambedkar
2. “Citizenship consists in the service of the country.” – Jawaharlal Nehru
3. “Let new India arise out of peasants cottage, grasping the plow, out of huts, cobbler, and sweeper.” – Swami Vivekananda
4. "Every Indian should now forget that he is a Rajput, a Sikh or a Jat. He must remember that he is an Indian." - Sardar Patel
5. “India has no dearth of brave young men and women and if they get the opportunity and help then we can compete with other nations in space exploration and one of them will fulfill her dreams.” – Atal Bihari Vajpayee
6. “Freedom isn’t free. It shouldn’t be a bragging point that ‘oh, I don’t get involved in politics,’ as if that makes someone cleaner. No that makes you derelict of duty in a republic. Liars and panderers in government would have a much harder time of it if so many people didn’t insist on their right to remain ignorant and blindly agreeable.” – Bill Maher
7. “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
8. "Courage to give, Courage to think different, courage to invent, the courage to discover the impossible, Courage to travel into an unexplored path, courage to share knowledge, the courage to remove pain, courage to reach the unreached, courage to combat problems, and succeed are the qualities of youth.” – Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
9. “The Power to mold the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations.” – Joseph Pulitzer
10. “I feel that the constitution is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peacetime and in wartime. Indeed, if I may say so, if things go wrong under the new constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad constitution. What we will have to say is that Man was vile.” – B.R. Ambedkar
12. “Indians today are governed by two different ideologies. Their political ideal set in the preamble of the constitution affirms life liberty, equality, and fraternity. Their social ideal embodied in their religion denies them.” – B.R. Ambedkar
13. "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it" - George Bernard Shaw
14. "One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives." - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
15. “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” – Mahatma Gandhi
16. “Even if I died in the service of the nation, I would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood… will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic.” – Indira Gandhi
17. “Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of Age.” — BR Ambedkar
18. "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it." - Bal Gangadhar Tilak
19. "For some days, people thought that India was shaking. But there are always tremors when a great tree falls." – Rajiv Gandhi
20. I feel that the constitution is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peacetime and in wartime. Indeed, if I may say so, if things go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitution. What we will have to say is that Man was vile. – B.R. Ambedkar
Let new India arise out of peasants cottage, grasping the plough, out of huts, cobbler and sweeper. – Swami Vivekananda
Citizenship consists in the service of the country. – Jawaharlal Nehru
India has no dearth of brave young men and women and if they get the opportunity and help then we can compete with other nations in space exploration and one of them will fulfil her dreams. – Atal Behari Vajpayee
