When I think of the Indian Constitution, as someone from the Dalit community, what comes to mind is that it has proven to be a strong shield against discrimination and exploitation. It has also enabled members of my community, as well as other socially disadvantaged groups, to assert their rights and seek justice, thereby becoming a foundation for social mobility and, most importantly, empowerment.

By marking November 26 as the Constitution Day annually, the Government of India led by PM Modi has given Indians an opportunity to resolve and ensure India and Indians contribute to the pillars of equality, fraternity, justice and liberty. This year is also important because it is the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian constitution. For 75 years, the constitution has served as a beacon of hope for Dalits and tribal citizens. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s words that the “Constitution is not just a lawyer’s document; it is a vehicle of life, and its spirit is the spirit of the age” highlight the enduring relevance of the Indian Constitution. It demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability.

The preamble of the constitution begins with the words, “we the people of India”. This is important. For any systemic social change to take effect, we the people are important. It is with our thinking and self-effort that anything can happen. This day provides us an opportunity to not just recall the values that were enshrined in our constitution but also look at ways in which ‘we the people’ can drive change.

As we approach 100 years of Indian independence, we have a choice in driving change to ensure a socially equitable India. The Government of Uttar Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took the lead in marking the occasion by reading the Preamble. To highlight the civilizational importance of the Indian Constitution, the Uttar Pradesh government plans to showcase its significance to visitors at the Maha Kumbh Mela, held from January 13 to February 26, 2024. While these initiatives are welcome, it is equally important for non-state actors and individuals to take meaningful steps to mark the relevance of the Indian Constitution on this day.

Central to the constitution is Antyodaya. We at the Bharatiya Janata Party are deeply grateful to carry forward the role of Antyodaya by serving the last man and woman in the village. I have always believed that democracy is India’s greatest soft power, though it is often not spoken or written about enough. On Constitution Day, November 26, we remember the democratic framework on which our country was founded. As Dr. Ambedkar said, people “must hold fast to constitutional methods” to achieve their social and economic objectives if they wish to maintain democracy “not merely in form, but also in fact.”

What can I say about the drafting committee chairman, Babasaheb Ambedkar? We are who we are because he chose to be our guide. His contribution and relevance in the making of the Constitution are there for all to see, read, and witness. Ambedkar was confident that the Indian Constitution would safeguard India at all times. In his words, “Indeed, if I may say so, if things go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitution. What we will have to say is that man was vile.” We must consistently strive to fulfill Babasaheb’s vision, which is to ensure India remains a social democracy.

The Indian Constitution instills nationalism and patriotism in us. It reinforces that we are all one and the same: Indian citizens. In Ambedkar’s words, “the proposed Indian Constitution is a dual polity with a single citizenship. There is only one citizenship for the whole of India. It is Indian citizenship. There is no State citizenship. Every Indian has the same rights of citizenship, no matter in what State he resides.” On this day, let us reaffirm to ourselves that India comes first, with the Constitution as our anchor.

In my view, three documents are essential to the continuance of the Indian civilizational nation-state: the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Indian Constitution. On this day, we must remember the painstaking efforts of our forefathers to give us the democratic framework on which our nation was founded. We must make an effort to read it and live it in both spirit and action. We must also take the initiative to communicate its significance to those who are unaware, using all available mediums, especially to those outside of India. There cannot be a better moment for India, and there cannot be a better document than our Constitution to anchor us.

(The author is the BJP’s national spokesperson and a professor at Patna University.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today underlined that he has performed his duties within the framework of the Constitution, the founding document of the country, without encroaching upon anyone’s jurisdiction. 

The Prime Minister said that the document remains a “guiding light” for his government amid Opposition criticism that efforts are underway to undermine the Constitution.

“I wish to say that I have confined my work within the framework of the Constitution, only done what was assigned to me by the Constitution. I have not indulged in any encroachment,” the Prime Minister said addressing an event marking Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court. 

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The Constitution formally came into effect on January 26, 1950.

PM Modi also paid homage to the victims of the Mumbai terror attack and reiterated the country’s resolve that all terror groups challenging the security of India will be given a befitting reply.

“This sentiment of ‘nation first’ will keep alive the Constitution for centuries to come,” he said at the event which was attended by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Supreme Court Bar Association of India President Kapil Sibal, among others.

The Constitution, said PM Modi, has now been fully implemented in Jammu and Kashmir and Constitution Day was celebrated there for the first time there.

“Our Constitution makers knew that India’s aspirations, India’s dreams will reach new heights with time. They knew that the needs of independent India and its citizens will change, challenges will change. That is why they did not leave our Constitution as just a mere book of laws. Rather, they made it a living, continuously flowing stream,” PM Modi said.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted people on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution at the Central Hall of Parliament on November 26, 1949. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.

The day of its adoption is observed as Samvidhan Divas.

The government has planned a yearlong celebration of the anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption, starting with President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of parliamentarians here on Tuesday.

PM Modi is expected to speak at another event in the evening.

Both the ruling BJP and the opposition parties have been locked in a war of words, accusing each other of working against the constitutional values. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday greeted people on Constitution Day and said the strength of democracy in a huge country like India is its Constitution, which gives the mantra of national unity and integrity.

The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution at the Central Hall of Parliament on November 26, 1949. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.

Conveying heartiest greetings to the people on ‘Constitution Day’, the home minister said India is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Constitution with great enthusiasm and to commemorate the contribution of the architects of the Constitution.

“The strength of democracy of a huge country like India is our Constitution, which gives the mantra of national unity and integrity by ensuring justice and equal rights to every person,” he wrote on ‘X’ in Hindi with the hashtag #75YearsOfConstitution.

Mr Shah said the Constitution is not just a book to be displayed on stage, but it is the key to make the highest contribution to public life by internalising it with full devotion. “Let us pledge to build a strong, prosperous and self-reliant India on this Constitution Day,” he said.

President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on Tuesday, kick-starting year-long celebrations to mark 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday urged citizens to protect the ethos of the Constitution and said the struggle to defend India’s inherent philosophy must be reinvigorated and reignited in the 75th year of its adoption.

Mr Kharge said the people of India should come together to protect each and every thought expressed in the Constitution.

“The 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution has begun today. I extend my warmest wishes to all Indians on this historic occasion,” the Congress president said in a post on X.

“The Constitution of India, painstakingly and carefully drafted by our foremothers and forefathers is the lifeblood of our nation. It guarantees us social, economic and political rights. It constitutes India into a sovereign socialist democratic republic,” he said.

Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are not just ideals or ideas, they are the way of life for 140 crore Indians, Mr Kharge asserted.

“Today, we recall the tremendous contribution of the Constituent Assembly and its prolific members. We are forever indebted to their vision and wisdom,” he said.

Mr Kharge said Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr Rajendra Prasad, KM Munshi, Sarojini Naidu, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and several eminent personalities were not just revered national icons but inspiring personalities who became the torchbearers of hope for generations together.

No mention of the Constituent Assembly should be complete without recalling the contribution of the 15 women members who provided equally important inputs for an inclusive India, the Congress president said.

“We must also not forget that the Constituent Assembly received uncountable suggestions from ordinary citizens which are a matter of record,” he said.

The Objectives Resolution moved by Nehru and Ambedkar’s momentous last speech to the Constituent Assembly form the Magna Carta in protecting the tenets of the Constitution, he said.

“We, the patriotic citizens of India, now have the onerous task of protecting the ethos of the Constitution,” Mr Kharge said.

“We, the people of India, should, therefore, come together to protect each and every thought expressed in the Constitution,” he said.

In the 75th year of the Constitution’s adoption, the struggle to defend India’s inherent philosophy must be reinvigorated and reignited, just like the era of the national movement, the Congress president said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Constitution is not only a static document but a journey, and it has been amended before, Union Minister Kiren Riiju said at the NDTV India Samvad Samvidhan 2024 Summit today.

Explaining how Prime Minister Narendra Modi worked hard and pushed for the celebration of the Samvidhan Diwas, or Constitution Day, Mr Rijiju said, “PM Modi has been a protector of the Constitution.”

Constitution Day will be celebrated on Tuesday.

“The Constitution is a book. However, as a citizen, we have to follow a way of life. Many people have given their views on the Constitution from time to time, and they are constructive views. People have also looked at the Constitution with different views at different points of time, amendments have been made too,” said the Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister.

“I am not going into minute details about the Constitution as it will be a lengthy discussion. But everyone knows that the Constitution is not a static document. It is a journey, which has seen changes and will see changes. Except for the basic principles which are at the core, which we cannot and should not touch, nothing is permanent in a democratic system,” Mr Rijiju said.

Recalling his long years as an MP and his stint as the Union Law Minister, Mr Rijiju said, “We don’t have full information about what happened during the framing of the Constitution. There were some small and big incidents. And there are matters which we have not paid attention to, which have not come into our attention prominently…”

He said the government will release two books on the Constitution on Tuesday.

“There are many interesting things about the Constitution. Before it was drafted, when there was no Constitution, what did people envisage how the Constitution would be? What did they imagine? They must have thought something about the future…” Mr Rijiju said, adding the two books will give a glimpse into the inspiration behind the drafting of the Constitution.

“For example, in Fundamental Rights, if there is a picture from the Bhagavad Gita, who added it and why… Such inspirations are interesting to study. The makers of the Constitution have given a lot of thought, looked into every possible aspect…” said Mr Rijiju, who was Union Law Minister in the Modi 2.0 government.

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Addressing the Ndtv India Samvad: Samvidhan@75.@ndtvindia#NDTVSamvadhttps://t.co/N8sLyPkrir

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 24, 2024

The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution, which came into effect from January 26, 1950. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in November 2015 notified the decision of the Modi government to celebrate November 26 as Constitution Day to promote Constitution values among citizens.