Why was January 26 chosen as Republic Day in India?

Since 1950, January 26 has marked the day India’s Constitution came into effect. However, the Constitution was prepared before the chosen date and adopted officially by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.

Why do we celebrate our Republic Day on January 26, then? The answer lies in the history of the Indian freedom struggle, during which the date has held significance since 1930.

The historic “Poorna Swaraj” declaration was formally promulgated on January 26, 1930, kicking off the final stage of India’s freedom struggle to achieve total independence from British rule.

In the wake of the Chauri Chaura incident in February 1922, the Non-Cooperation Movement abruptly ended. At the time, Mahatma Gandhi believed that his nonviolent methods of protest were “not yet ready” for the nation. As a result, the 1920s did not experience a similar level of mobilization as the Non-Cooperation Movement and the anti-Rowlatt Satyagraha.

But the 1920s weren’t at all unimportant. The 1920s laid the foundation for the future direction of India’s freedom struggle, from the rise of revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad to the maturation of a new generation of Indian National Congress (INC) leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Vallabhai Patel, and C Rajagopalachari.

From 1930 till India finally won its independence in 1947, January 26 was celebrated as “Independence Day” or “Poorna Swaraj Day,” with Indians reaffirming their commitment towards sovereignty on that day.

However, India won independence from the British on August 15, exactly two years after the Japanese surrendered to the Allies to end World War II. As historian Ramchandra Guha wrote, “freedom finally came on a day that resonated with imperial pride rather than nationalist sentiment.”

Thus, when leaders had to decide on a day to promulgate India’s new constitution, January 26 was considered ideal. Not only did this date already hold nationalist significance, the Constitution in many ways, but it also reflected the “Poorna Swaraj” declaration of two decades back.