Republic @ 75 - Time for Reflection and Resolve

Our parties largely function as warring tribes, and often long-term public good and collective national interest are in jeopardy at the altar of short-term electoral gain.

- JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN

January 26, 2025 marks the completion of 75 years of our Republic. By the time this column is published, we would have celebrated the Republic Day with customary pomp and ceremony. In the life of a nation of 5000 years of continuing civilization, 75 years is not very long. However, this is a good occasion to reflect on our Republic, rejoice in our strengths and successes, and resolve to overcome our weaknesses.

By any standards, India is an extraordinary republic. Never before was a republic created with such diversity of language, religion, region and caste. That we have 22 officially recognized languages, each with rich history, culture and literature, and yet we harmoniously forged a republic is nothing short of a miracle. Until our audacious experiment, no nation introduced universal adult franchise since the inception of a republic. Britain, after centuries of democratic practice, finally had universal franchise only in 1928. The U.S., the first republic with a written Constitution and separation of powers, introduced universal franchise in 1920, 131 years after the founding of the republic; and the Black people could exercise the right to vote only in 1964, 175 years after the Constitution came into effect. Our leaders welded a most unlikely nation and a republic and trusted future generations to exercise our freedoms wisely despite our diversity, mass poverty, illiteracy, and lack of any kind of democratic experience for about 1000 years since the days of village self-government during the Chola period.