What is the place of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the history related to 26 January?

In India, 26 January is celebrated every year as ‘Republic Day’. Few people know the fact that from 1930 to 1947 it was celebrated as ‘Independence Day’. Critics of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh accuse the organization of staying away from Republic Day. 26 January was the day in 1930, when Poorna Swarajya Diwas (Full Day of Self Rule) was observed. After 1950, this day started being celebrated as “Republic Day”. Where was the Union on January 26, 1930? Where was he again on January 26, 1950? This article answers these questions on the basis of contemporary documents available in the archives of the Sangh and news items published in the Marathi newspaper ‘Kesari’. Before that we need to know why 26 January was chosen as ‘Republic Day’?

birth of the republic

The Indian Independence Act 1947 partitioned undivided India into two independent colonies—India and Pakistan—on August 15, 1947. The Constituent Assembly of India took over the legislative functions of the Indian Dominion from the Imperial Legislative Council. It approved the draft constitution on November 26, 1949. A commencement date had yet to be selected for the constitution to become effective. Choosing a date in the early 1950s was apparently convenient. Choosing the first day of the new year would have been like copying the old rulers and choosing the last day of January would have been near the date of Gandhi’s assassination which was not appropriate. So the question was, what other date could there be in January? 20 years ago, the Indian National Congress under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru had decided to celebrate January 26, 1930 as Purna Swarajya Day, hence this date was designated as Republic Day (Kesari January 27, 1950).

The acceptance of complete independence may be a historic decision from the point of view of the Congress, but in the preceding five decades, hundreds of anonymous revolutionaries and their families had to face death, exile, imprisonment and confiscation of property for complete independence. Nehru always neglected the contribution of revolutionaries, so the date of importance for Congress and especially for Nehru was fixed as Republic Day. Thus was born the sovereign democratic Republic of India.

joy and indignation

A two-day festival was announced on 26 and 27 January 1950 to celebrate the birth of the new republic. How did different people see the establishment of the new republic in the context of Indian politics? Given its political dominance, the Congress was naturally excited. Using the Gandhi assassination as a cudgel, Nehru proceeded to crush groups engaged in Hindu revival, such as the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and the Sangh. Even if Nehru had any vision of national consensus, these groups had no place in it. Leading Hindutva leader Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had gone through the ordeal in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination and was released from jail less than a year ago. Nevertheless, in a remarkable statement, Savarkar said, “Every citizen whose loyalty to his motherland is above doubt, unconditional and wholehearted, shall participate in the national celebrations on that day to commemorate the liberation of his motherland from British slavery.” Can’t help but join in happily. Let us on that day forget our petty squabbles of province, individual and party, and declare our national victory to the world on one more common platform – leaving behind our narrow fronts, the platform of one motherland… (Bombay Chronicle, 5 April 1950). Aged Savarkar left his services at the wish of the new President Rajendra Prasad.

Ashutosh Lahiri, vice-president of the Hindu Mahasabha and chairman of its parliamentary board, was imprisoned in the Andamans for India’s independence. He called upon all local Hindu Sabha units to cooperate and participate in the festivities related to the adoption of the new constitution (Kesari, 24 January 1950). In a meeting held in Mumbai on 27 January, the working committee of the Hindu Mahasabha passed a resolution welcoming the Republic of India (Kesari, 31 January 1950).

The birth of the new republic led to resentment in some sections. On 26 January, communists took out a protest rally in Kala Chowki area of ​​Mumbai. When the police asked the communists to go back, they threw acid bombs at the police. Two police inspectors were injured in this. The police fired four rounds, injuring eight people. About 55 communists were arrested (Kesari, 27 January 1950). The Communists arrived at a flag-hoisting ceremony held in Mumbai’s Colaba area and urged the people gathered there to hoist black flags. This led to a brief skirmish (Kesari, 31 January 1950). Kesari published that “On January 26, there were incidents of hoisting of black flags at the offices of Forward Bloc, Peasants and Workers Party and other organizations. The communists made despicable attempts to spoil the festivities even in cities like Mumbai and Calcutta” (Kesari, 3 February 1950).

A Republic Day procession was stopped in front of a mosque in Kamptee (Central Province) because it was playing music. Stones were thrown at the photo of President Rajendra Prasad. The procession was allowed to proceed only after the music stopped. During the return the participants were attacked by ‘non-Hindus wielding sticks’ and it was only the presence of armed soldiers that stopped the riot (Kesari, 6 February 1950). Kesari (January 24, 1950) reported that “Swayamsevaks of the Congress Seva Dal, Boy Scouts, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other organizations will take out a Prabhat Pheri (morning procession) on the morning of January 26. Separate processions will meet at the historic Shaniwar Wada grounds in Pune”. As reported by Kesari, young volunteers of the Sangh participated in the two-day festival with equal pride as the Congress Seva Dal and the Samajwadi Rashtra Seva Dal (27 January 1950).

While reporting the Sangh program in Mumbai, Kesari remarked, “On the morning of January 26, the Sangh’s impressive flag-hoisting ceremony took place at Chowpatty. Its magnificence and discipline amazed even the army and the police” (31 January 1931).

On behalf of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the documents of organizing the first Republic Day in Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Kharar, Bhilwara, Ambala, Rohtak etc. are mentioned. On the morning of 26 January 1950, the Sangh did a wonderful and special program in Indore. A large number of beggars (including women) were served and fed with respect by the volunteers on this occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Sangh Karyavah of Indore, Pandit Ramnarayan Shastri (who became the Prant Sanghchalak of Madhya Pradesh a few years later) said, “We wish that this condition of yours should change soon. Neither be hungry nor be naked. May that situation come soon when you too can feed us. … Now don’t think of yourself as a beggar, don’t think of yourself as poor, but consider yourself the king of this country” (All India Radio Weekly) , Jalandhar 5 February 1950)

Congress’s muddy road to complete independence

Jawaharlal Nehru, secretary of the All India Congress Committee, proposed independence on 27 December 1927 at the Madras session of the Congress. The resolution read as follows – “The Congress declares complete Swaraj to be the goal of the Indian people.” (Report of the Forty-second Indian National Congress held in Madras in 1927, Reception Committee, Madras, p. 15) Gandhiji did not like the proposal put forth by Nehru for independence of India and boycott of British goods (D.G. Tendulkar, Mahatma : The Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Vithalbhai K. Zaveri and D.G. Tendulkar, Bombay, 1951, Vol.2, pp. 402, 429-430). By now, colonial self-rule was the goal of the Congress, which was made clear by Congress President Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari in Gandhi’s words – “if possible within the empire, if necessary outside it” (Madras Congress Report, Appendix 1) , p.3).

Differences emerged in the Congress session held in Calcutta from 29 December 1928 to 1 January 1929 regarding the goal of the Congress. Srinivasa Iyengar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Bose supported the cause of complete independence, while Gandhi and Congress President-elect Motilal Nehru favored Dominion status. On the basis of this Dominion Status, Motilal Nehru prepared a report regarding the future Constitution of India on the request of the All Party Council. Motilal Nehru had clearly stated that if he did not get support in favor of his report, he would not preside over the Congress. Gandhi sought a middle ground and proposed that the Congress would launch its own non-violent non-cooperation movement if it did not accept the constitution by the British Parliament before 31 December 1930 (Tendulkar, pp. 439-440.)

Viceroy Lord Irwin declared on October 31, 1929, even before the deadline announced by Gandhiji, that attainment of Dominion Status was the natural culmination of India’s constitutional progress. Despite this grand announcement, on 23 December, during a meeting with Gandhi, Jinnah and others, the Viceroy said that it was not possible for him to pre-fix the Round Table Council to a particular role. Thus, there is no longer any guarantee of getting dominion status. Declaring that all avenues of retreat were closed, Gandhi now declared himself a definite advocate of independence.

The election of Jawaharlal Nehru, an advocate of independence, as the President of the Congress session to be held in Lahore in December 1929, gave a boost to the enthusiasm for the expected independence resolution across the country. (RC Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, Firma KL Mukhopadhyay, Calcutta, Vol. 3, pp. 322, 325).

In the Lahore session, Gandhiji now declared that the word Swaraj in Article 1 of the Congress Constitution would mean complete independence and the whole plan of the Nehru Committee (Motilal) report collapsed, and hoped that henceforth all Congress workers Will devote his full attention to the complete independence of India with dedication. Indian National Congress, Report of the Forty-fourth Annual Session, Lahore, Reception Committee, p. 88)

To further the ideal of freedom before the nation, on January 02, 1930, the Working Committee of the Indian National Congress decided that January 26 would be celebrated as Poorna Swaraj (Complete Self-Government) Day throughout India. A manifesto was drawn up by Gandhi and accepted by the Working Committee, which was read to people in every village and town in India and the audience was asked to raise their hands in support (Mazumdar p.331).

Where was the Union in the midst of this nationwide fervor for complete independence? Will know it in the next article

Remaining in the next article……….

-Doctor. Shrirang Godbole