Republic Day: Celebs on the significance of the occasion and if the day has merely become a holiday now

January 26 is an important day in the lives of every Indian. It is the day when the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950. Many feel that the day has just become another holiday for everyone, watching flag hoisting by the Prime Minister of India in Delhi on our TV sets. Kids, however, do attend flag hoisting in school and reminisce about the history of the day. Celebs talk about the importance of the day and whether the special day has merely become a holiday for everyone. They also share their favourite patriotic song.

Perneet Chauhan: I think if every society does flag hoisting it's good. The children of the society can relate to it. I live in a complex of veterans, people who have served in the Indian navy and air force. It’s so nice to see them salute the National Flag. They have served the nation putting the country before them. I really like this tradition of flag hoisting. My favourite patriotic song is, Bharat humko jaan se pyaar hai from Roja. Latest is the song from URI that I like.

Nupur Joshi: I believe, patriotism is not date specific! I celebrate my freedom and rights every day. Respecting the constitution abiding by the laws should be celebrated daily. Our rights, our freedom and responsibility towards our nation goes hand in hand. So, I’m doing my bit, we all should. My favourite song remains ‘Hamne suna tha ek hai Bharat’, the lyrics of the song are by Sahir Ludhianvi, and it is from the movie Didi (1959). The song gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it

Vijayendra Kumeria: It is true its just a holiday. We do used to participate in school parade in childhood. Republic day memories we all have as we all remember hearing pm speech on TV. Favourite patriotic song is film rang de basanti's title song which featured Amir Khan

Aman Maheshwari: The government does its own part, but on our part, there can be an entire event as a member of society that we can do. We can celebrate the day by talking about people and giving some credit to those who are actually bringing honour to the country like sportpersons, NGO workers etc. There should be a feeling of pride in being together. My favourite patriotic song is ‘Ae vatan vatan mere abad rahe tu’ from the movie Raazi. January 26 celebration should be about India and every individual belonging to the country. There should be gratefulness and pride in us to be born in this country.

Hemal Dev: January 26 is also special for me. There is a very interesting custom that we follow in my hometown Kolhapur. We eat jalebis on that day, there are small pandals put up on the roadside and it is celebrated as a festival where everyone comes together and gathers in the morning. It also feels special to attend flag hoisting in various schools as guests or participants. My favourite patriotic song is the one from Raazi, ‘Ae watan mere aabad rahe tu’.

Akshay Jain: Yes, it apparently looks like the youth today is not giving the importance that Republic Day deserves, however in the field of dance, and generally in today’s social media era with reels and other apps gaining so much limelight, everyone is doing something related to their own field as a tribute to the country on that day. Studios change their theme to the Indian tri-colour, artists make reels, dancers dance on patriotic songs, I mean we can say, this is a kind of modern day tribute we all give to the country on Republic Day, Independence Day etc. The world is getting more artistic now which is very nice. On that note, my favourite patriotic song is ‘Ae watan watan mere abaad rahe tu’ from the movie Raazi.

Ranaksh Rana: The constitution of our country was established on this day and what an important milestone it is in the existence of all Indians! This day is not just a festive day but a pretty important historic mark in the calendar. I feel that in the rush to adopt different languages and cultures, we have slowly started to forget our roots. I am glad to see that different channels whether news, media or individuals are trying to create more awareness about our history and pride and I think that’s important, bringing back the pride and acknowledging the rich beautiful culture that we belong to. Respect for the day has to be felt deep within, not just celebrated. How beautiful a communal celebration would be, to come together and share experiences and stories and personal associations on this day. There’s this song that comes to my head every time I feel patriotic- Kar chale hum fidaa jaan-o-tan saathiyo, ab tumhare hawale watan saathiyo. This gives me goosebumps. It not only shows the immense sacrifice our great men and women gave, it also talks about trust and partnership and faith and strength in unity.

Hansa Singh: During my childhood on every 26th January, I used to watch parade and praise all the soldiers and gallantry. However, things have changed now. The respect for nation doesn't happen in just one day but it should be 24/7. As a proud Indian, I still feel goosebumps listening to Jan Gan Man, our National Anthem. My favourite song is ( actually are many ) "kar chale hum juda jaan se tan sathiyon, ab tumhare hawaale watan saathiyon". Jai Hind

Rajender Singh Pahl: On 26th January, we used to have flag hoisting in our schools and we used to participate in cultural activities. I feel proud listening to our national song and it gives a feeling of patriotism. I think there are so many people in India, who do not think about their country compared to the people who stay abroad. For me, this day is very important. My favourite patriotic song is Ae mere vatan ke logon...zara aakh me bhar lo paani by Lata Ji. We should feel proud about her nation and should not forget the essence of this day.