Handpicked books to enlighten ourselves about our constitution and celebrate Republic Day (Jan 26, 2022)

 

Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 every year to remember the day when the Constitution of India came into effect after India gained independence from the British. Ever since the historic day, January 26 is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor all around the country. On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies and parades by armed forces and school children are held in different parts of the country. The grandest and most important of these parades is held at Rajpath in New Delhi, which showcases a multi-hued image of the country's rich cultural heritage and military prowess. 

Today, on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day of India, here is a look at few  books every Indian should read.

                             A Passage to India by E.M.Forster

The book is mainly about prejudice between British people and Indians in the 1920s. Set in pre-Independence India, when India was ruled by the British, the book questions whether a friendship between a British person and an Indian would have been possible in those prejudiced times.

The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru

                     

The book was written during Nehru's four years of confinement in prison and is his way of paying homage to his beloved country and its rich culture. It is a broad view of Indian history, culture, and philosophy, and is considered one of the finest writings on Indian History.

The Argumentative by Amartya Sen

The book brings together an illuminating selection of writings from Sen that outline the need to understand contemporary India in the light of its long argumentative tradition. He argues that the understanding and use of this rich argumentative tradition are critically important for the success of India's democracy, the defense of its secular politics, the removal of inequalities related to class, caste, gender, and community, and the pursuit of sub-continental peace

       A children's History of India by Subhadra Sen Gupta  

A perfect book to make your kids aware about the ancient history of India in a fun way. The book explains the Indian history in a very simple language. The book moves in a very sequential manner thus, keep the kid and the reader well informed and connected. The information in the book is sufficient enough to understand the subject and satisfy the kids’ queries.The book explains the questions like, what was it like living in Mughal times? How did the British, who had come to trade in India, end up ruling the country? How has India changed after Independence? etc

History of Modern India by Bipan Chandra 

 

History of Modern India presents an authoritative overview of the history of what was known as British India. The text is largely based on the author s research on nationalism and colonialism in India and also draws from the works of eminent historians of the period. 

The making and working of Indian Constitution by S K Chaube

The present book argues that the constitution of a country is as much a political document as a legal one and hence its success or otherwise is also dependent on how it is interpreted and implemented politically. A work written from the perspective of a political scientist, it integrally underlines the expectation of permanence' on which a constitution is based and in its analysis lays as much emphasis on the 'making' of the invaluable document called Constitution of India as on its 'working'. A very significant and handy analytical study.

Students need to read these books also for understanding India and its Constitution:

• Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap NBT
• Our Parliament by NBT
• Our Judiciary by NBT
• The Wonder that was India by A L Basham
• Freedom at Midnight by Lappiere and Collins
• The Indian Constitution (Oxford India Short Introductions Series) by Madhav        Khosla
• The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution (Oxford Handbooks) by Sujit         Choudhry and Madhav Khosla
• The Indian Constitution: Oxford India Short Introduction by Madhav Khosla
•  The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation  by Granville Austin

As India celebrates its 71st Republic Day, informed minds can be our contribution towards becoming more responsible citizens.