A wish-list for the next 60

For MR Sujeeth, a ninth standard student from Holy Child School, the highlight of the day is the grand parade held in New Delhi, and not just for its entertainment value: “I love the tableaus that represent various states of India. Last year, I really loved the Karnataka tableau that displayed the state’s important monuments.”

He also raises a question when asked about his hopes for India: “If people can’t even read and write, how can they understand what a republic is?” Varsha Achar, an eighth standard student from India International School will be part of the R-Day celebrations in school. Having been in the US for seven years, she says that the celebration makes her feel proud of being Indian.

“On Republic Day, I think we forget our regional differences and delight in being one big nation.” Abhinav Mahesh studies in class eight at Clarence Public School. Like Sujeeth, he too catches up on the Republic Day parade on television. His favourite part of the revelry is the march by different infantry, cavalry and mechanised regiments. “My dad uses a wheel chair and so I wish that all places in India will be accessible for the disabled,” he says.

Tanya Pandey from Embassy Public School celebrates the day with others from her apartment. Singing, dancing, flag hoisting are the order of the day. Talking about a pressing issue close to her heart she says, “I feel very bad when I see girls of my own age working as maids. It’s just as sad that children as young as five or six have to make crackers for the rest of us to enjoy. I really hope that child labour is not part of India’s future.”

Sixteen-year-old Sriradha Chatterjee feels that on republic day certain issues like education and environment need focus. “There’s a lot I expect from India. Most of us do. Students are extremely pressurised by the entrance exams and that needs to change,” she concludes.