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R-Day is a reminder that India’s unity rests on shared constitutional values: Uttarakhand Governor

On Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said that it reflects the collective strength of a people who believe in their ability to stand on their own while remaining engaged with the world.

2 min readJan 26, 2026 01:08 PM IST

Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) described 77th Republic Day as an opportunity to reflect on the balance that defines our Republic, between rights and duties, freedom and responsibility, authority and accountability. (File Photo)

As the nation celebrates its 77th Republic Day today, Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) described the occasion as an opportunity to reflect on the balance that defines our Republic, between rights and duties, freedom and responsibility, authority and accountability.

Remembering the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950, he said that is a reminder that India’s unity rests on shared constitutional values. He observed that despite the uncertainties of 1947, when freedom arrived alongside partition, displacement, and institutional fragility, India has evolved into a stable, self-assured and forward-looking nation through discipline and resilience.

“In less than eight decades, India has travelled a distance that few nations in history have achieved. From the uncertainties of 1947, when freedom arrived alongside partition, displacement, and institutional fragility, the Republic has steadily shaped itself into a stable, self assured, and forward looking nation. What makes this journey remarkable is not only the scale of progress, but the discipline with which it has been pursued,” he said in a press statement.

Describing India as a nation of both possibility and probability, Lt Gen Singh underlined that the country’s demographic strength, intellectual capital and civilisational depth continue to open new frontiers. At the same time, he pointed out that the trajectory of global change increasingly aligns with India’s strengths, including adaptability, restraint and the ability to lead without coercion.

“The sovereignty and integrity of India have never been defined only by borders or territory. They have been anchored in the collective resolve of its people. A nation as diverse as India could not have endured without an internal cohesion rooted in shared values and mutual respect. This cohesion has allowed India to modernise without fragmentation and to transform without losing its sense of self. Today, India stands at the centre of some of the most consequential conversations of the modern world,” he added.