Republic Day – 2019

In India, Republic Day honours the date on which the Indian Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. This date was chosen because it aligns with when the Declaration of Indian Independence was proclaimed in 1930.

On this day we must ask ourselves a sincere question: "Has our virtuous Constitution been safe in the hands of our rulers in the post-independent era?" For decades, issues such as Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and the plight of the Pandits there stood in contradiction to the Constitution's own guarantees of equality and religious freedom.

The nation needs decisive, visionary leadership to rise above these challenges. As I have always believed, "An experimented visionary with iron hands and noblest thoughts only can evacuate us from the dark tunnel." It is my hope that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country will move toward the transformational change our people deserve.

Jay Hind; Vande Mataram.