National Pledge (India)

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. It was first read out in a school in Visakhapatnam in 1963 and was subsequently translated into various regional languages.[1]

Origin

The Indian national pledge was composed by Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao. 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, Nalgonda District, Telangana.He was an expert in Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Arabic languages. He worked as Treasury officer in the state of Hyderabad. After the formation of AP, He worked in Khammam, Nizamabad, Nellore, Visakhapatnam, Nalgonda Districts.[2] The Pledge was introduced in many schools in 1963.[1]

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.[2]

The Pledge

The words of the National Pledge are:

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 my parents, teachers and all elders respect and treat everyone with courtesy. To my country and all my people, I pledge my devotion. In their well being and prosperity alone lies my happiness. Jai Hind.

Guidelines for Usage

  1. The National Pledge is recited in schools during assemblies, during the Independence Day, and Republic Day Observance Ceremonies.
  2. It is a traditional and lawful ceremony.
  3. Must be respected and followed by all Indians.

References

  1. 1 2 "Nalgonda re=140".
  2. 1 2 "The 'Pledge', now 50, is the pride of Telugus!". The Hindu. September 14, 2012.

External links

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