NEW DELHI: On the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, President Droupadi Murmu reminded citizens of fundamental duties, while Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar flagged the dangers of placing creed above country.
The Vice-President borrowed from BR Ambedkar, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, to say “internal conflicts, more than external threats, endanger democracy”.
Leading the commemoration event in the Central Hall of Parliament where the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, adopted the Constitution, President Murmu said India was now playing the role of Vishwa Bandhu as the Constitution makers envisaged.
“Our Constitution makers had given a directive for India to play an important role in promotion of international peace and security. Today, besides being a leading economy, our country is playing this role very well as the Vishwa Bandhu,” Murmu said before leading the reading of the Preamble at the joint sitting of Parliament attended by all MPs.
On the dais, besides Murmu and Dhankhar, were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, leader of Rajya Sabha JP Nadda and leaders of opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
The President described the Constitution as a “living, progressive document with a system of adopting new ideas according to the changing times.”
“We have achieved many ambitious goals related to social justice and inclusive development through the Constitution. With a new approach, we are earning for India a new identity in the comity of nations,” she said, adding that in accordance with the Constitution, it was the responsibility of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary to work together to ease the lives of common people and mentioning the Women’s Reservation Act and the Goods and Services Tax as major constitutional reforms.
With today’s event, the President also launched Centre’s yearlong celebrations of the anniversary event.
Vice-President Dhankhar used his address on the day to flag the threats to democracy.
He invoked the last speech of Ambedkar to the Constituent Assembly where the latter had said, “What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. Will history repeat itself? It is this thought that fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realisation of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place the creed above the country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever.”
Dhankhar also appealed to MPs for productive discourse in Parliament and said these days “decorum and discipline were cliff hanging in parliamentary discourse.”
“On this day, we need to resolve by reiterating the pristine glory of our Constituent Assembly embellished functioning…Disturbance as a strategy threatens democratic institutions. Time has come to restore the sanctity of democratic temples through constructive dialogue,” said the VP, who chairs the Rajya Sabha.
The VP was speaking just a day after both Houses of Parliament were washed out due to disruptions over opposition’s demands to discuss a US court indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in bribery allegations. Another point Dhankhar stressed was separation of powers.
“The Indian Constitution ingeniously established democracy’s three pillars the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary each with a defined role. Democracy is best nurtured with its constitutional institutions adhering to their jurisdictional area,” he said.
Speaking before the VP and President, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged MPs to adopt the highest traditions of meaningful, constructive dialogue in both Houses of Parliament. The Speaker also appealed to MPs to celebrate the 75th anniversary year of the adoption of the Constitution in their respective Lok Sabha segments.
On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu released the following publications – copies of the Constitution in Sanskrit and Maithili; “Bharat ke Samvidhan ka nirman, ek jhalak” and “Bharat ke Samvidhan ka nirman aur iski gauravshali gatha”. The latter two are available in Hindi and English. Murmu also unveiled a book dedicated to art and calligraphy of the Constitution.