Rotaract Club of Delhi & Rotaract Club of H.R. College Akash Presents Celebrating a revitalized, rejuvenated and republic india
All The Way From Delhi (2)6 Dear Readers, Warm Rotaract Greetings! We would like to take this platform to introduce ourselves as the Rotaract Club of Delhi Akash, part of the District Rotaract Organization 3010 (Delhi & N.C.R.). We are the youth wing of Rotary International and have been partners in its humanitarian causes for ages. We have a history of over two decades where our members not only augment and hone their knowledge and skills, but also address the physical and social needs of our community while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service consisting of the various Rotaract Clubs across the globe. We are extremely happy on bringing out a Joint Bulletin in cooperation with Rotaract Club of H.R. College, Dist. 3140 on the theme of “the Republic Day of India, 26th January 2010”, 61 Years of Republic India. It has been a wonderful experience to write our messages, views and wishes on this occasion. Happy Republic Day 26 January 2010! Rotaract team of Delhi Akash, Dist 3010, wishes all the readers of this bulletin best on the day of India’s Republic Day. Long live democracy and Long Live Republic. We highly appreciate the sincere efforts and are thankful to Rotaract Club of H.R. College, Dist. 3140, for making this joint project a huge success. In continuation of that relationship and support, we look forward to their cooperation for further joint activities in coming times. Thanks and Warm Regards, Rtr. Ritika Mittal President 2009-10 Rotaract Club of Delhi Akash Rotaract District 3010
Inspiring Minds Hi my amazing amazing general body! Before I start off, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a very happy Republic Day! It is a day of great day of joy for the country as we complete 60 years of being a Republic! This country has seen many great leaders, leaders that have taken this great country to unimaginable heights. It is all because of them that a country like India is so well recognized and so well appreciated around the globe. Had it not been for them we would have been no where close to where we are right now. All these great people were not born extra-ordinary. They were all simple men and women born to families just like you and me. What they did differently was that they believed in whatever they did. No matter what the circumstances, they would accomplish their goals. Take an example of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Who would have ever thought that India could have got freedom through non-violence? All I’d like to say is that follow your dream, follow your goal and trust me the world will fall at your feet. And let us all end by saluting our brave leaders and our great nation. Let us hope this is just the start of things to come. JAI HIND! Rtr. Chirag Tekchandaney President(R.C.H.R.) 2009-2010
What goes around, comes around.! Just a month back we hosted I.D.Y.E.'s from Delhi and when we thought of having a joint bulletin the first club that came to our mind was R.C. of Delhi Akash. The whole idea of this bulletin was to have a confluence point of the diverse thinking of Mumbaiites and Delhiites and help showcase their views on their country, India. Republic Day is one of the most prominent days in the history of India and we hope after this bulletin, you'll know why! Also, hosting I.D.Y.E.'s from Sri Lanka was a day amazingly spent. We really wish we could have them with us for longer. A special thank you to our Editors for bearing so patiently all our delays. Yours-in-Rotaract, Rtr. Sonam Varma, Rtr.Hema Java, Rtr.Shashank Jogani
The Exuberant Editors Revitalized, rejuvenated, republic... Big words with little meanig for us simple folk. (This is why we love the editorial post. It provides the ideal platform for us to flaunt such big words.) So what is republic day? Is it not a vacation where some people toss some fancy language in the air and we get the day of? These are very common errors made by people, not because they under value the value of independence, but because they do not truly understand the meaning and hence the value of being a Republic. Being a republic means that the Country is ruled not by a heriditary Monarch, but by an elected President. In our case, even the President’s position is mainly ceremonial. This means that India, after independence, has become a country where free will and democracy exists. As opposed to countries that have come under millitary or other types of anarchic rule after independence. What use would independence be if the country still suffered from lawlessness? What use would independence be if the country still suffered from tyranny? What use would independence be if the country is not a republic? Independence Day has its own place in our hearts but we must not forget the people who may not have sacrificed their lives for our freedom but definitely have ensured that are freedom does not go in vain by formulating a constitution that was water-tight enough to last us 61 years and that will last us(with constant modification) a long time to come. We would like to end by saying a big thank you to the International Service team, Sonam, Hema and Shashank, for making our bulletin an inter-district bulletin and Rotaract Club of Delhi Akash for release the bulletin jointly with us. It was a pleasure working with you’ll. Hope you guys feel the same. Yours-in-Rotaract, Rtr. Roozbeh Pardiwala, Rtr. Radhika Bhaskaran, Rtr. Deep Chhabria, Rtr.Junaid Khan
Voices from Aamchi Mumbai Is 26th January "Just Another Holiday?� India was in British possession for over three hundred years. Bal Gangadhar Tilak died crying,"Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it". There was a long and hard struggle for freedom. Great men like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh and many others played a great part in it. Then freedom came to us. India became free on 15th August, 1947. But mind you, the foundations of this day were laid back in the 1920's precisely on 26th January, 1929, the day on which we pledged to free India from the clutches of the British Rule. Although India got freedom on the 15th of August, it did not have a constitution of its own! A government consisting of the representatives elected by the citizens of free India came into existence on the 26th of January, 1950. India now had a constitution and a law of its own. Dr. Rajendra Prasad had the privilege of being elected as the first president of the Republic of India. 26th January has one of the most significant places in the history of the freedom struggle. On this very day , in the year 1930, during the Congress Session held at Lahore, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru declared that the main objective of Congress was to free India. When the very same fell into the ears of the British, their anger knew no boundaries. They used all means to suppress the fire ignited in the minds of the young Indians to accomplish their goal. Mahatma Gandhi, with the help of his two of the most efficient and trusted weapons TRUTH and NONVIOLENCE emerged victorious. In this manner, India became a truly republican unit. Honestly a very few of us were familiar with the complete history of this Red lettered day. In today's scenario Republic Day has become just another holiday. We are free, but do we really value or understand this independence? For most people, it was just another holiday, a chance to spend time with friends and family. I guess the only people who were really busy were those involved in education and politics (including the government agencies). They are the only ones (barring a few NGOs, Corporate and Housing Societies) who unfurl the National Flag. Do we really understand the relevance of Republic Day today?
In school, we attended the celebrations (though, reluctantly, I must admit), sang the usual patriotic songs, heard a variety of patriotic speeches (in English, Hindi and Marathi) and generally waited for it to get over. The sad thing was that while we were in school doing this, we usually missed the fun part - watching the Nation celebrate it on TV. On Republic Day we tried to miss school so that we could see the Parade. Once college starts, it's up to us whether to attend or not and the choice is pretty clear. Those of us who read newspapers and watch TV must have noticed nothing new this year…the same forced patriotism, forced nationalism... Even the President's address to the nation echoes of the same run-of-themill threats to anti-national forces, infrastructural development and the call for upliftment of the poor. It sounded much like Nehru's speech and if we haven't got it right even after 60 years we better start doing it differently or maybe we should start doing different things. In my opinion, instead of wasting money on buying flags and celebrating a "National holiday" for just a day, why don't we use our resources much more efficiently and use it for the betterment of our country! The flags bought are treated as waste the very next day and found everywhere….from a drainage system to dustbins! Some people, who were very PROUD to be the citizens of India don't seem to bother if they ruthlessly crumple their pride under their feet. Isn't it really shameful? I think we need to do a lot more not by merely increasing awareness of the relevance of our Republic Day, not by having more cultural programs, not by unfurling more flags, not by singing more songs, not by making/delivering more speeches but by actually instilling a sense of belonging and ownership in the common man. Though of course I know that it is easier said than done. So come let us all together pledge to celebrate Our diversity, our unity, our tolerance… Our technology, our strength, our pride Our potential, our dreams, our future…. Our culture, our traditions…our achievements!! Not just once or twice but throughout! I would like to end by saying that each one of us should believe that we have a responsibility towards our neighbours and ourselves and we should work hard to achieve all our goals. I believe it's this sense of helplessness, this chalta hai attitude, this fatalistic view of life that really needs to be overcome first. It is only then that we will be able to achieve the kind of independence that our forefathers envisaged. …JAI HIND…
-Neeharika .H. Jaiswal
The constitutional Assembly Influence is what reminds me of one thing! How Gandhiji with his dhoti and satyagraha did what we, the youth can't, even imagine of, actually we do imagine how to thoroughly influence people to get our work done simply selfish in our own terms but that's not the point here. Even an amateur cook refers to a Cook-book, similarly, a normal citizen of our country in order to abide by his duties and enjoy his rights needs to know about them for sure and unfortunately he doesn't. That's where our Indian constitution comes in use but then that's not for the citizens it just make people aware about their duties and their privilege, thier rights and duties. So, on the eve of 26th January, lets make it little more interesting and easier to relate to. Independence day is commemorated by everyone and even the pioneers behind this freedom are praised, but what about pioneers who formulated the policies on which India runs today. Yes, the constituent assembly which formulated the Constitution of India are the unsung heroes of Republic day on 26th January as, on that day, our constitution was brought into effect. So, today lets go into the journey and lets know about the people who contributed towards the making of the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. To begin with, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was the chairman of drafting committee (and in rotaract terms the R.R.D.) of our constitution and also the chief architect of Indian constitution. Ambedkar won great praise from his colleagues and contemporary observers for his drafting work.The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability and the outlawing of all forms of discrimination Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women, and also won the Assembly's support for introducing a system of reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, a system akin to affirmative action. Sardar Vallabhai Patel was a senior leader in the Constituent Assembly of India and was responsible in a large measure for shaping India's constitution (again in rotaract terms he was the I.P.P of the assembly.) Patel was a key force behind the appointment of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as the chairman of the drafting committee, and the inclusion of leaders from a diverse political spectrum in the process of writing the constitution. Patel was the chairman of the committees responsible for minorities, tribal and excluded areas, fundamental rights and provincial constitutions. Dr Rajendra Prasad served as the President of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the constitution of the Republic from 1948 to 1950. He had also served as a Cabinet Minister briefly in the first Government of Independent India. He was very dedicated to India as his sister Bhagwati Devi died on the night of 25 January 1950, a day before the Constitution of India come int effect. It was only on return from the parade that he set about the task of cremation. He was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award. Though there were hundreds of people without whom the constitution wouldn't have been formulated but these were the people who played an instrumental.The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and served as its first Parliament as an independent nation. The Assembly approved the Constitution on November 26, 1949, making it official. On January 26, 1950, the Constitution took effect — a day now commemorated as Republic Day nationwide.Around 300 people who made the biggest constitution ever have to be saluted for their deed. God Bless .Happy republic Day. -Rtr. Mitaksh Jain
26 unknown facts about India * India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history. * Chess was invented in India. * Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. * The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C. * India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. * The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level. * India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. * The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. * Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. * The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. * India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake. * The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. * Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days. * The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
* Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12). * Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries. * Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. * The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. * Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively. * India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution. * Only 5% of Indians understand English, yet most of the websites of the Government India, State Governments and Public Institutions are in English! * Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. * Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years. * There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET, 38% of doctors in USA are Indians. 12% scientists in USA are Indians. 36% of NASA scientists are Indians. 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians. 28% of IBM employees are Indians. 17% of INTEL scientists are Indians. 13% of XEROX employees are Indians. * India GDP of 3.3 trillion dollars and counting is the 3rd largest in the world. * By 2025,India will beat China to become the country with the world's largest population. -Krishn Mehta
Correspondents From The Capital “Tan samarpit, man samarpit Aur yeh jeevan samarpirt Chahta hoon desh ki dharti, tujhe kuch aur bhi kar doon samarpit”
-Ram Avtar Tyagi Celebration of sovereignty is what celebration of Republic Day is all about. It is India's great national festival. It is celebrated every year on 26th January with much patriotic fervor. It celebrates India's freedom and democracy. The essence behind the celebration of Republic day is not only to celebrate India's secularism and democracy but its also makes us feel proud of our culture, languages, social norms, traditions, customs, religions, communitarian and the individual distinctiveness. It is this spirit, which makes me feel proud of my country's achievements that make the celebration all the more interesting. This is the day when we people come together and proudly identify ourselves as true Indians, and not with some particular religion or caste. This feeling for the country is what makes this day a special one from the rest of the day. It is the day, which guarantees the Fundamental rights to the citizens, equality of religion and so on. The rich cultural heritage and tradition of India is reflected on this day.
Rtr. Tarun Monga
Jana gana mana Adhinayaka, Jaya he, Bharata bhagya vidhata!
Republic Day, celebrated on January 26th every year, is one of India’s most important national events. It was on January 26th, 1950 that the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state. On this day -India finally enjoyed the freedom of spirit, rule of law and fundamental principle of governance. The patriotic fervour of the Indian people on this day brings the whole country together even in her embedded diversity. Republic Day is a people’s day in a variety of ways: It’s when regional identity takes a backseat and what matters most is the universal appeal of unity and brotherhood projected by all Indians. The Indian constitution basically stands for the aspirations which ‘the common man of India’ cherishes. Republic Day is a day of the citizen of the country when he is entitled to be ‘all supreme'.
Republic Day is celebrated most majestically in the capital, New Delhi, where symbols of the great nation's military might and cultural wealth are displayed in what is the world's most impressive parade. All Government buildings are illuminated lending the city the atmosphere of a fairyland. This day is celebrated with much zeal and pride all across the nation. The main celebrations are held in the form of a colourful parade near India Gate in Delhi. The parade showcasing India's military might and cultural diversity covers a 8 km route, starting from the Rashtrapati Bhavan through the picturesque Rajpath down to India Gate before winding up at the historic Red Fort in Old Delhi. The events of the day begin with the Prime Minister laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti - India Gate. He then drives up to the central enclosure and awaits the arrival of the President and a Chief Guest of the occasion who is normally a Head of other Country. On his arrival the Hon’ble President meets the dignitaries present and unfurls the National Flag. Following this the National Anthem is played with a 21-gun salute to the National Flag. After this a brief investiture ceremony takes place during which the President presents India's top gallantry awards, the Param Veer Chakra, the Veer Chakra and the Maha Veer Chakra to the outstanding soldiers from the defense services. After this, four helicopters from the armed forces fly past the parade area showering rose petals on the audience. Each chopper carries a flag - the first being the Indian flag and the other three the flags of the Army, the Navy, and the Indian Air Force. The march past begins immediately after the fly past. The President, as Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, takes the salute of the mechanised, mounted and marching contingents of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Paramilitary forces, Police and the National Cadet Corps. After the march past comes the cultural extravaganza consisting of floats presented by the various states and performances by school children. After the floats, the bravery awards winning children from all over the country enter on elephants. A spectacular fly-past by Air Force and Naval aircraft rounds off this not-to-be missed experience. The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. No other country in the world can parade so many ethnically different people in splendid uniforms as India's Armed Forces. But they are all united in their proven loyalty to the Government elected by the people and in their proud traditions and legendary gallantry.
-Rtr. Ritika Mittal
CELEBRATION OF THE REPUBLIC
Are you among the delhiites or fortunate enough to be in New Delhi on the 26th of January? If your answer is in the affirmative, then do make sure to witness the vivid celebrations of the Republic Day procession. This is one of the most colorful and prestigious national festival and the presence of dignitaries like the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, Union Ministers and foreign delegates also add to the dignity of the celebration. Celebration of Republic Day is different than Independence Day. The difference in significance marks the variation in the pattern of celebration of these two national days. It is a people’s day. On Independence Day, the past is recalled whereas, on Republic Day, the pledge is renewed. Independence Day has rhetoric built in the celebration; Republic Day is without speeches. Republic Day is celebrated all over the country at all the administrative units like the capital cities, district headquarters, sub divisions, talukas, and panchayats. The major ceremonies are held at Delhi and the state capitals. The celebration mood lasts for one week. It consists of the ground preparations, rehearsals, the main display which spills over to the ‘Beating of Retreat’ on January 29. The day has acquired the status of a social celebration in which people participate whole-heartedly. The celebration mosaic is studded with activities. Though the Republic Day Parade is the main ceremony, various activities are held from early morning when prabhat pheris (morning rounds) followed by a homage to Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of Nation. The parade is succeeded by sports events in the afternoon. ‘At Home’ functions at the Raj Bhavan, at the District Magistrate’s and at the SDM’s are followed by illumination of public buildings at the provincial capitals and administrative headquarters. The celebrations are universal, total and participatory in which children also take part in a ig way. Variations in culture are displayed through colourful attires and folk dances. The parades held on the day traditionally predominates a touch of modernity reflected in the display of might, technology and capabilities of growth in various sectors. The parades symbolize the might; the tableaux reflect the cultural motifs. After three days of Republic Day parade, a moving ceremony known as "Beating Retreat" is held at the Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. This ceremony revives an ancient war custom according to which troops used to stop fighting at sunset. Bugles announcing the sunset would sound in the battlefield. As soon as soldiers heard these bugles they would stand still in the battlefield and war would be stopped for the day. This ceremony held on the 29th of January every year, marks the formal end of the Republic Day celebrations. The ceremony opens with a parade by select contingents of the armed forces set to scintillating performances by the various armed forces bands. The parade climaxes with all the bands playing in unison. As the bands fall silent, a lone trumpeter picks up the moving tune 'Siki a mole'. After this performance the hymn 'Abide with me' is played by the Massed Bands. This hymn, said to be Mahatma Gandhi's favourite, is a permanent feature of the ceremony. At exactly 6 pm, the buglers sound the retreat and the National Flag is lowered to the National Anthem bringing the Republic Day celebrations to a formal end. One by one, the camels and the riders who stand stone-like throughout against the backdrop of the sky, move away from the background. Just after this comes the most visually appealing part of the show. With the click of a button, a thousand bulbs light up the Rastrapati Bhavan and adjoining buildings. Surely a fitting end to the annual celebrations of the Indian republic! -Rtr. Ritika Mittal
It runs through me... They say its a land of dogs, destroyed and wrought, We're actually hooligans ready to protect it at any cost. They say we've got over a billion people, I say we're a billion hearts ready to put a smile on every dimple. It's a country like none other that I belong to, I've grown in its shade and treated it like a mother. Lived by its malls and slept by its seashores, The country has only left me asking for more! There is a deep sense of passion that runs through me, And a bonding that stems from within, All for this place that has made me what I am, I bow down to my mother, India. India, in all its divine forms, Has been an abode for all of us. And that want to get India right at the top, Is what keeps driving me through and through. Today, when the call of the hour is to develop forward, We need to rise up to the challenge, Ready to reascertain our position as the queen of the world, Because that is precisely where we belong. Every drop of rain that falls here, Has that sweet taste of eternity, That reassures me of having done some great deeds in the past, For me to not have taken birth in a country, but in paradise.
-Yash Muthiyan
Thank You
To Rotaract Club of Delhi Akash, Tarun Monga, Ritika Mittal, Mitaksh Jain, Neeharika Jaiswal, Yash Muthiyan, Krishn Mehta and Bhavesh Daryani. Finally a thank you to all those people who have made Republic Day possible for the entire country. This bulletin would not exist without you. For any feedback mail us at: editorial.rchr@rotaractclubofhr.net
R.I. Dist 3140