REPUBLIC DAY 2023

As the nation marked its 74^th Republic Day, the students and staff at Dehradun’s leading school, Raja Rammohan Roy Academy celebrated the day with great pomp and show. India first gained independence from the British Empire on August 15, 1947, but it wasn’t until November 26, 1949, that the country got its constitution. Many considered it necessary to celebrate and enforce the document on a day associated with national pride, which was – January 26, and thus every year the entire nation reminisces the day with a lot of pride and honour.

In keeping with tradition, the event started with the Flag Hoisting ceremony, and the Tricolour was unfurled to thunderous applause which soon gave way to the notes of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ as the entire Royite family sang the National Anthem in unison.

With the stage set, next, it was the Deputy Head Boy of the school,  Divyansh Singh, who came up on the stage and spoke about the origin, history, and significance of Republic Day. He enthralled the audience with very well-researched facts and snippets about our history backed up by his extraordinary oratory skills. He began by speaking about the sacrifices made by our forefathers in getting us independence from the yoke of oppression. He went on to talk about the importance of the Constitution of India enforced on this day, which guarantees liberty, freedom, and equality to each one of us. He concluded by paying homage to Corona Warriors and soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces ensuring the safety of our lives day in and day out.

It was time for some musical celebrations as the School Choir took to the stage and presented the song­­ ‘Desh Rangeela’. The beautiful composition captivated the audience and left them spellbound. While Divyansh spoke in English, next it was the Deputy Head Girl of the school,  Samiksha Dhakal,  who, in the mother tongue, exhorted young minds to live up to the ideals of our forefathers. She made an emphatic pitch and ended with a poignant quote.

The celebrations had in fact kicked off a day prior with the Inter House Folk Dance Competition  held on January 25, 2023. Students of all four houses – Vindhya, Satpura, Aravali, and Shivalik – dressed in vibrant traditional dresses showcased their immense talent as they presented Rasiya, Kalbeliya, Kumaoni, and Gujarati folk dance forms respectively.  An eminent panel of judges comprising Ms Upma Shukla and Ms Pratibha Srivastav, both accomplished Kathak dancers and the latter a Royite herself, had the difficult task of judging equally splendid performances. It was however Aravali House who brought home the honours with Shivalik House close on their heels. On Republic Day, the winning house, Aravali once again presented their Kumaoni dance leaving the audience mesmerised.

The day’s event was concluded with an address by the officiating Principal, Ms Bharti Vishnoi. She conveyed her heartfelt wishes to everyone for the day and called the students ‘Ambassadors of the nation’ reminding them of their duty to protect the integrity of their motherland. She made an appeal to them to return back to their roots after their successful endeavours in India and abroad and contribute in the nation’s development.

Republic Day celebration at Raja Rammohan Roy Academy was a huge success and it is days like this that serve as a much-needed reminder of the struggles and efforts of our forebearers. The young minds are bound to draw in the right lessons and double down on their efforts as rise up in life to take our beloved nation to even higher realms of greatness and glory.

JAI HIND JAI BHARAT!