India, Jan. 25 -- On our Republic Day, four persons, all four trained in law, come powerfully to mind - BR Ambedkar, the first law minister of independent India who is celebrated as the architect of the Constitution, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic, respected for helming it with dignity and distinction, Jawaharlal Nehru, our first Prime Minister (PM) who, in the words of another lawyer-statesman, C Rajagopalachari, commanded universal love, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, our first deputy PM, who commanded universal trust - a combination in leadership that cannot be bettered by chance or design.

In saluting their memories on each anniversary of its founding, the Republic of India salutes the sagacity and statesmanship ...