Poorna Swaraj Day

Subject: History

Context:

For almost two decades before India actually became independent, the country’s freedom fighters had been celebrating January 26 as “Poorna Swaraj Day”

Concept:

• The Indian National Congress held its annual session in December 1929.
• It voted for “purnaswaraj” or complete independence as against a dominion statusfor India and passed a resolution fixing the last Sunday of January 1930, it was coincidentally January 26 as Independence Day.
• It resolved to hold countrywide demonstrations in support of the goal.
• An official draft by Mahatma Gandhi said: “The British government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually….Therefore, India must sever the British connection and attain ‘purnaswaraj’ or ‘complete independence’. ”
• Jawaharlal Nehru was chosen the president of the Congress. On the midnight of December 31, 1929, he raised the first “swaraj” flag that was later adopted as the national flag.
• However, since 15 August became the official Independence Day in 1947, the new Indian Constitution took effect on 26 January 1950, to mark the 1930 declaration. That’s why 26 January is a special day in India’s history in more ways than one.