Skip to main content

Day to remember hardship, sincere efforts of Dr Ambedkar for framing Constitution

By Dr Kapilendra Das 

The 26th of November, the day of an important landmark in India's journey as an Independent, Sovereign, socialist, secular, and Democratic, Republic is celebrated as National Constitution Day in India, also known as Samvidhan Divas. On this day the constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India in 1949 to secure the Indian Citizen's justice, liberty, equality, and union which came into effect two months later, on January 26, 1950, and India became a Republic.
India was liberated from British colonial rule and gained independence on the 15th. August 1947. The Indians felt the taste of freedom, but there were no rules and regulations to govern the country. To govern India a draft constitution was prepared by the Drafting Committee under Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's skillful Chairmanship which was published in January 1948 and the same was finally adopted by the constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949. To mark the remembrance and the anniversary of the day of the adoption of the constitution of India, November, 26 has been celebrated as National Constitution Day in India.
As the Indian Constitution is a legal document and rule of the book, in 1979 the Bar Association of Supreme Court, India resolved that 'National Law Day' be celebrated to mark the adoption of the constitution of India on November, 26 every year. Since then, the day of 26, November has been celebrated as National Law Day in India by the members of the legal fraternity.
While laying the foundation stone on the Ambedkar memorial at the Indu Mills Compounds in Mumbai on October 15, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that henceforth 26 November will be celebrated throughout the Nation as National Constitution Day every year. To promote constitutional values and create a growth of awareness among the Indian citizens, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, government of India declared 26 November as National Constitution Day on 19 November 2015 by a National Gazette Notification, since the first National Constitution Day was celebrated on 26 November 2015 and has been celebrating on 26 November every year throughout the country as a mark of tribute to India’s first Law Minister Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Architect and father of the Indian constitution and the other members of the drafting committee and to commemorate the adoption of the constitution of India.
The Day we celebrate our Republic Day is the day our constitution was legally enforced and the Day we celebrate as our Constitution Day is the day our constitution was adopted.
The constitution is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework of governance in the country. The constitution of India declares a socialist, Secular, Democratic, and sovereign Republic which gives the citizens of India equal justice and liberty and promotes the values of fraternity. It defines and determines the powers of the Government, the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. The Indian constitution is the backbone of the country which has kept the country together with many languages, castes, religions, ethnicities, diversities, and cultural identities. It lays down the rights and duties of the citizens.
Indian Constitution is not merely a document but an instrument protecting the rights and freedom of all sections of society and provides every citizen the right to equality without discriminating based on caste, creed, sex, religion, or language and ensures that the nation remains on the path of progress and prosperity.
Indian constitution has a preamble with which it begins and which embodies its objectives and fundamental principles. The preamble, indeed, embodies the philosophy of the Constitution. Reading through the preamble, one can see the purposes that serve, namely the declaration of (1) the source of the constitution (2) a statement of its objectives, and (3) the date of its adoption. The preamble proceeds to define the objectives of the Indian Republic. These objectives are four manners: Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. It is the soul of the Indian Constitution. The preamble through its noble words promises Justice, Social, Economic, and Political, Liberty of thought, expression, belief, freedom of faith, and worship, Equality of status and opportunity and to promote fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
The Judiciary acts as the guardian of the constitution. It plays a crucial role in protecting and upholding the principles of the Constitution, interpreting its provisions, and ensuring that they are implemented. The judiciary also plays an important role in protecting the rights of the citizens and in ensuring that the other branches of government do not exceed their powers.
The main aims of celebrating National Constitution Day are to make Indian citizens aware of constitutional values and create awareness among the citizens. It is the key role of every responsible citizen of India to read the preamble of the Indian constitution and to know citizen's fundamental duties on Constitution Day. On this day we should take the pledge to fulfill our responsibilities towards our nation and the fundamental duties. These are the moral obligations that promote the spirit of patriotism and the brotherhood for upholding the unity of India. These make a responsible citizen of the country.
We celebrate National Constitution Day to spread the importance and awareness of the constitution of India and to honor the ideas and thoughts of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who helped the Indians to be truly democratic. Constitution Day also helps us to remember the hardship and sincere efforts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar which he took framing of the constitution of our nation.
National Constitution Day should not be considered as the occasion that is to be celebrated by the government, the political parties, or the members of the legal fraternity. But we as responsible citizens of India should also be enthusiastic to celebrate the day in a massive way.

Comments

TRENDING

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu.  He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Licy Bharucha’s pilgrimage into the lives of India’s freedom fighters

By Moin Qazi* Book Review: “Oral History of Indian Freedom Movement”, by Dr Licy Bharucha; Pp240; Rs 300; Published by National Museum of Indian Freedom Movement The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedom. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular. — Mahatma Gandhi The opening quote of the book by Mahatma Gandhi sums up the true objective of India’s freedom struggle. It also in essence speaks for the multitudes of brave and courageous individuals who aspired to get themselves jailed for the cause of the country’s freedom. A jail term was a strong testimony and credential of patriotism for them. The book has been written by Dr Licy Bharucha, an academically trained political scientist and a scholar of peace studies and Gandhian studies, who was closely associated throughout her life with those who made the struggle for India’s independence the primar...

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

UP tribal woman human rights defender Sokalo released on bail

By  A  Representative After almost five months in jail, Adivasi human rights defender and forest worker Sokalo Gond has been finally released on bail.Despite being granted bail on October 4, technical and procedural issues kept Sokalo behind bars until November 1. The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), which are backing Sokalo, called it a "major victory." Sokalo's release follows the earlier releases of Kismatiya and Sukhdev Gond in September. "All three forest workers and human rights defenders were illegally incarcerated under false charges, in what is the State's way of punishing those who are active in their fight for the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006)", said a CJP statement.

Sardar Patel was on Nathuram Godse's hit list: Noted Marathi writer Sadanand More

Sadanand More (right) By  A  Representative In a surprise revelation, well-known Gujarati journalist Hari Desai has claimed that Nathuram Godse did not just kill Mahatma Gandhi, but also intended to kill Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Citing a voluminous book authored by Sadanand More, “Lokmanya to Mahatma”, Volume II, translated from Marathi into English last year, Desai says, nowadays, there is a lot of talk about conspiracy to kill Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, but little is known about how the Sardar was also targeted.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.