A spirited speech in 1950, Prime Minister Nehru taking stock of the parade in 1951, and the President’s salute in 1952… This is how India celebrated its first three Republic Days.
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00:00The day India became a republic within the Commonwealth was certainly historic.
00:05Beneath portraits of Gandhi and Mr. Nehru, the High Commissioner, Mr. Krishna Menon, read the proclamation at India House.
00:12India, that is Bharat, shall be a sovereign democratic republic.
00:18The High Commissioner then made and signed a solemn declaration of his allegiance to the new republic and addressed the gathering.
00:24Two and a half years ago, the British Empire passed power into the hands of the Indian people.
00:32We became an independent country and today, by the proclamation of our constitution,
00:38made by our own people in the exercise of the wisdom and the determination and the collective responsibility,
00:44we have set the formal seal to the inauguration of that freedom in the form of a constitution.
00:50Later, at the reception, he welcomed the many guests who included Lady Mountbatten.
00:56Mr. and Mrs. Attlee were there.
01:00And Mr. Anthony Eden.
01:02The occasion was undoubtedly a happy augury for future relations between the British and Indian peoples.
01:07To mark the first anniversary of India's Republic Day, the President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, arrived in state at Kingsway, New Delhi.
01:14He was greeted by Sardar Baldev Singh, Defence Minister, and also by the Naval and Air Force CMCs, who are British.
01:21The march passed by token units of India's fighting services was very smart indeed.
01:26There was ample evidence that tradition was being fully maintained.
01:30Representatives from India's most famous regiments were on parade, many of them veterans of World War II.
01:45Just returned from the Commonwealth Conference in London, where he strongly urged policies of negotiation,
01:52Mr. Nehru, the Prime Minister, now took stock of his country's military strength as troops, artillery, and armour went by.
02:15The Jaisalmer Camel Corps was a picturesque item in the big parade,
02:20and in addition to the armed forces, there was pageantry illustrating scenes from India's ancient history.
02:26Yes, Republic Day in New Delhi was certainly impressive.
02:31Driving in state to Kingsway, New Delhi, India's President came to take the salute on Republic Day.
02:36To western eyes, the great march past was certainly a picturesque parade.
02:39The column was three miles long and included representatives of more than 60 service units.
02:44The march past, together with the pageant that followed it, was the Indian capital's chief celebration of the National Day.