By Sophie Barbier

For 1.32 billion people on the planet, today’s a big day.

On this day in 1950, independent India’s Constitution came into effect. While it was an incredibly important day to all the freedom fighters who gave their lives to India’s independence 68 years ago, Jan. 26 isn’t just confined to the history books.

Today, as 17% of the planet celebrates this Republic Day, we are struck by symbols.

This day is symbolic of the time that independent India became a democracy.

It is a victory of the people, of democratic governance, and of freedom.

It is thanks to this day, all those years ago, that we at Global Citizen India are able to unite people’s voices from across the country to create a movement for change — because every voice counts.

It’s a day of patriotism for 1.32 billion people. That’s more than one in six people on the planet celebrating their nation — the same nation.

With those 1.32 billion lives come billions of stories of citizenship, nation, and fellowship. The annual Republic Day parade is a parade for all, where students watch their peers walk alongside the military displays, marching bands, and the country’s biggest leaders. This year, we will see 113 women from the Border Security Force perform a motorbiking stunt show down Delhi’s Rajpath. Eighteen children from around the country will also be celebrated for their incredible acts of bravery that have saved lives and demonstrated great civic duty in the tttpast year.

This is a celebration of history, and a generation of leaders who nurtured India to become the strong, independent democracy it is today.

You may have heard of B. R. Ambedkar. You might know him as Baba Saheb, or maybe under his original name, Ambavadekar… but his most famous moniker is the Father of the Constitution. As chairman of the team drawing up the document, he stood for people’s rights regardless of caste, gender or region, and was instrumental in launching India into its post-Independence state. And today is the day to celebrate figures of the past who have shaped our world.

This very Constitution, which continues to see amendments, evolution and debate, started off as a real mix of governing documents from around the world. You will find pieces of the Japanese, Irish, and French, inspiration from the German, grounding in the US Bill of Rights, and more.

And on that note…

This year, we’re reminded that India itself is a global citizen (in case you’d forgotten our epic times at Global Citizen India).

In honour of 50 years since the creation of ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations that convenes 10 states from the region), India is hosting all 10 ASEAN Heads of State at the Republic Day parade. Between this and Prime Minister Modi’s speech in Davos at the World Economic Forum this week, we cannot overstate the importance of India’s leadership on the global stage.

Republic Day is a chance to reflect on and celebrate the ways in which India continues to grow and contribute to the planet. These are not new — India has always been a vital member of the global community. But in 2018, global citizenship continues to be crucial, and India is keeping up the good work.

There’s a long way to go. Democracy, the Constitution of India and global unity are all evolving, living and breathing concepts. But let’s take the time to appreciate all that today means - and wish 17% of the world’s population a happy Republic Day.

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