Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, it did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead, its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935, and the country was a Dominion, with George VI as head of state and Earl Mountbatten as Governor General. On August 29, 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as chairman.
A draft Constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on November 4, 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and one in English) on January 24, 1950. Two days later, the Constitution of India became the law of all the Indian lands. The Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950, at 10.18 AM IST.
In honor of such an occasion we went to the HI Campus this morning to celebrate what would most resemble an American "Flag Day" ceremony. The children sang songs and proclaimed their loyalty to the land and people of this great nation and at the conclusion of the ceremony some of the history teachers re-told accounts of the happenings leading up to India's republic structure. Then the flag was lifted high on the flagpole. As it was raised a small string bound the flag,, which was neatly folded, but as it reached it's destination the string broke, releasing hundreds of pink marigold petals as it stretched out to wave proudly. It was beautiful and yet another moment I'm amazed that these are the moments of my life here in India.
What a beautiful history lesson. You never would have learned at home. I am intrigues by the string that held the flag back. I instantly thought of the "strings' of this world that hold us back from waving proudly to the mass. And how once we are set free by Christ, the beauty that flows from us in His sight must resemble the beauty the flowers represented to you.
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