The Constituent Meeting met for the final time on January 24, two days earlier than the primary Republic Day on January 26, 1950, and elected Rajendra Prasad as the primary President of India with out opposition.
Prasad discouraged MPs from praising him, saying he needs to be acknowledged for his work when he leaves workplace. He introduced that ‘Jana Gana Mana’ can be the nationwide anthem and that the nationwide anthem Vande Mataram would have a comparable standing as an inspiration for the liberty battle.
All members then signed the English and Hindi variations of the structure, and what grew to become India’s parliament was adjourned.
Two months earlier, on November 26, 1949, the Constituent Meeting adopted the Structure.
The primary Republic Day parade was held within the capital on January 26, 1950, to commemorate the enactment of the Structure. The date was chosen as a result of 20 years in the past the Indian Nationwide Congress determined to rejoice January 26, 1930 as Independence Day or Purna Swaraj Day.
In his speech to the Constituent Meeting on January 24, 1950, its president, Rajendra Prasad, stated, “The music with lyrics and music often known as Jana Gana Mana is the nationwide anthem of India, however the authorities might change the lyrics because it sees match.” The Vande Mataram music, which performed a historic function in India’s battle for freedom, needs to be honored on a par with Jana Gana Mana and is the nationwide anthem of India. It has the identical standing. ”
B Das wished to know who would exchange the MP who vacated the seat. “Because it stands now, the us are sending two girls MPs instead of the three girls MPs who’re at the moment displaced. Odisha is just not sending any girls MPs. Different states do not make any particular effort to ship girls MPs. Girls are about 50 per cent of the inhabitants. I do not need them to battle on this floor through the subsequent elections,” he stated.
Prasad replied, “In keeping with the selections and… guidelines of the Home, there aren’t any seats reserved for ladies. It’s as much as the voters to elect girls. These elected will come to this Home, however we can not drive the voters to ship solely girls.”
Thereafter, the method for the Indian presidential election started. Constituent Meeting Secretary HVR Iyengar knowledgeable the members that Rajendra Prasad was the one individual nominated for the put up. His title was recommended by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and seconded by House Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. “I hereby declare that Dr. Rajendra Prasad is duly elected to the Workplace of the President of India in accordance with Rule 8 (1) of the Presidential Election Guidelines,” he stated.
President Nehru then stood up and congratulated the newly elected president. “It has been greater than three years since we began the work of the Constituent Meeting beneath your (President Prasad) management… We confronted many turmoil and crises, however continued the work of crafting a structure for the individuals of India and now now we have achieved that mission,” he stated.
“A brand new labor awaits us, and in a day or two the subsequent chapter will start. Not solely have we skilled your ready management over the last three years of nice hardship, however many people know you…as an Indian soldier who was on the entrance traces of the battle for freedom,” the primary prime minister stated. “Right now, a job has been achieved on this Parliament, and this Parliament, having fulfilled its mission, shall be abolished, or slightly…emerge because the Parliament of the Republic of India.”
Mr. Sardar Patel then stated, “You’ve got been serving because the President of the Constituent Meeting for 3 years, and members have been watching how you’ve got carried out the Meeting. At one time, your strained well being and deteriorating well being made us anxious and nervous, however windfall has graciously restored you to regular well being in order that we will all see the nice fortune of getting you elected as the primary President and Head of State of the Republic of India.”
Prasad urged members to cease heaping reward on him as he felt it was embarrassing, including that he didn’t deserve the feelings being conveyed about him. After this, members B Das, HC Mukherjee, Hussain Imam and Muniswami Pillai VI praised the President.
Prasad then ended the dialogue with out letting Seth Govind Das converse on his election. “I’ve at all times thought that it isn’t when I’m appointed to an workplace that I rejoice, however after I retire. I want to attend till the second when I’ve to relinquish the workplace that you’ve bestowed on me to see if I’m worthy of your belief and goodwill,” he stated.
He cited the Mahabharat story and stated that listening to reward for oneself is akin to suicide.
“Arjuna took a vow to do one thing earlier than the solar set that day, and if he didn’t succeed, he would immolate himself on a pyre. Sadly, he didn’t succeed… To satisfy that vow, he needed to immolate himself. In fact, this was unthinkable for the Pandavas, however Arjuna was decided.” To hurt your self or to take heed to the reward of others is identical as committing suicide and burning your self, so that you had higher do it and your vow might be fulfilled. ”I’ve fairly often heard such speeches in that spirit. ”
Prasad went on to say, “The nation faces so many challenges at the moment, and I really feel that the kind of work now we have to do now’s completely different than it was two years in the past. It requires extra dedication, extra care, extra software, and larger sacrifice,” including, “I can solely hope that this nation will produce women and men who can carry this burden and understand the very best aspirations of our individuals.”
All members then signed the English and Hindi variations of the structure, adopted by the singing of the nationwide anthem. Prime Minister Prasad then stated he had resigned from Vande Mataram and prorogued the Constituent Meeting.
Later, President Nehru recalled with satisfaction the primary Republic Day parade and stated that Indonesia’s first president Sukarno and his spouse attended the ceremony, in addition to many federal ministers. In a letter to Lord Mountbatten on 29 January 1950, he wrote: “The parade on the afternoon of 26 January was excellent in its personal proper, and impressed all current. We did it within the stadium at the moment, and the whole lot went like clockwork. A really massive crowd gathered in Derry, and there was a lot enthusiasm…”
In a speech at Ramlila Maidan on January 30, 1950, President Nehru stated, “There was a substantial amount of exercise on this nation through the previous week. There have been packages, illuminations and processions in Delhi and different cities and villages. It’s no shock because the twenty sixth of this month is a superb historic event for us. There have been many different historic occasions however this specific day has a really particular significance within the historical past of our nation.” It’s no exaggeration to say that on Republic Day, we fulfilled the pledge we made on the banks of the Ravi 20 years in the past and reaffirmed it throughout the nation the next yr. ”
