Army Veteran Recalls 1st Republic Day and Service Days in 1950

Colonel KS Bakshi was a young Army officer, posted in Delhi on the 1st Republic Day on 26 January 1950.

Colonel KS Bakshi.

(Photo: Shreeda Agarwal/The Quint)

Now a 90-year-old great-grandfather, Colonel KS Bakshi was a 24-year-old sprightly, young officer in the Indian Army when India celebrated its first Republic Day on 26 January, 1950.

The nonagenarian’s memory was sharp as a tack as he recalled the parade and the Republic Day festivities in 1950 while talking to The Quint.

Col Bakshi was posted in Delhi when India became a republic and said that the parade was on a much smaller scale back then.

The parade used to be similar in its pattern to what it is now, just that several more cultural programmes are there now and the display of the Indian armed forces is also much grander now. The celebrations were held on the East Wing of Rajpath, which was also the path that the president would take. 

Col Bakshi

Because it was the first time that the Republic Day was being held, Col Bakshi said he didn’t think that the other dignitaries like the Finance Minister, Prime Minister, who now pay a visit to the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, did so back in 1950. He also recalled that the first President Rajendra Prasad took oath that day.

Then there were some marching columns at the parade like of the Delhi Police but I don’t think there were any of the paramilitary forces like the BSF and CRPF as they were much smaller forces back then... There was also the Beating Retreat which took place three days later from the North to the South block.

Col Bakshi

Being a veteran, he also gave some trivia about how after Partition, the country’s army was also divided into two, of which the Indian forces were then divided to make the Army, Air Force and Navy.

Another thing he recalled was how cold it used to get at Republic Day, and how families would come bundled up and with bedding so they could squat on the sidelines of the parade at Rajpath.

A tower commemorated to honour Colonel KS Bakshi.(Photo: Shreeda Agarwal/The Quint)

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