INDIAN NATIONAL PLEDGE

The National Pledge is an oath of allegiance to the Republic of India. It is commonly recited by Indians in unison at public events, especially in schools, and during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations. It is commonly found printed in the opening pages of school textbooks.

The pledge was originally composed in Telugu language by writer Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao in 1962. Subbarao, a noted author in Telugu and a bureaucrat, composed the pledge while serving as the District Treasury Officer of Visakhapatnam District in 1962. He presented it to the senior Congress leader Tenneti Viswanadam who forwarded it to the then Education Minister P.V.G. Raju. He was born in Anneparti, Nallagonda District, Telangana.He was an expert in Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Arabic languages. He worked as Treasury officer in the state of Hyderabad. The Pledge was introduced in many schools in 1963. It was first read out in a school in Visakhapatnam in 1963 and was subsequently translated into various regional languages.The Central Advisory Board on Education meeting in 1964 in Bangalore, under its chairman M. C. Chagla, directed that the pledge be read in schools and that this practice be introduced by 26 January 1965, the next  Republic Day.

The Indian National Pledge is commonly recited by Indians at public events, during daily assemblies in many Indian schools, and during the Independence Day and Republic Day commemoration ceremonies. Unlike the National Anthem or the National Song, whose authors are well known in India, P.V. Subbarao, the author of the pledge remains largely a little-known figure, his name being mentioned neither in the books nor in any documents. Records with the Human Resources Development Ministry of the Government of India however record Subbarao as the author of the pledge. Subbarao himself is thought to have been unaware of its status as the National Pledge with a position on par with the National Anthem and the National Song. Apparently, he came to know about this when his granddaughter was reading the pledge from her text book.

THE PLEDGE

India is my country.

All Indians, are my brothers and sisters.

I love my country and, I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.

I shall always strive to be worthy of it.

I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and all elders and treat everyone with courtesy.

To my country and my people, I pledge my devotion.

In their well being and prosperity alone; lies my happiness.

It is a traditional and lawful ceremony . It must be respected and followed by all Indians.

Each and every word of pledge is a GEM. Every  Indian might have recited/repeated many thousands of times in school days mechanically like PARROT.  Our late president Abdul Kalamji once answered to a girl that corruption can completely be eradicated in India it depends upon mainly upon mother, father and teacher. If  good values  are inculcated in childhood even ghost can’t erase from their minds.  If every Indian understands the meaning and philosophy of each  and every word from childhood and follow whole heartedly daily there won’t be any corruption, problems/conflicts etc . No need of police stations, jails, courts, locks to doors  etc.

It is the responsibility and duty of each and every  Indian  especially parents and teachers  to explain  meaning and philosophy of each word of the PLEDGE to each and every child. Even Government , local educational authorities, leaders etc have to take special care in morning assemblies of schools in inculcating moral values, Indian-ness etc. The author of pledge should be given same status on par with the authors of the National Anthem and the National Song.

Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao

Keywords: Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao, National Pledge, National Anthem, National Song, Republic day, Independence day, president, Abdul Kalam, India, Indian, school assemblies, Government, GEM,culture, heritage.

Keywords: Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao, National Pledge, National Anthem, National Song, Republic day, Independence day, president, Abdul Kalam, India, Indian, school assemblies, Government, GEM,culture, heritage.