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

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

India's chemical industry: The missing piece of Atmanirbhar Bharat

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Rarely a day passes without the Prime Minister or a cabinet minister speaking about the importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat . The Start-up India scheme is a pillar in promoting this vision, and considerable enthusiasm has been reported in promoting start-up projects across the country. While these developments are positive, Atmanirbhar Bharat does not seem to have made significant progress within the Indian chemical industry . This is a matter of high concern that needs urgent and dispassionate analysis.

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...

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

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Breathless in Delhi: Lives lost while governments trade blame

By Sunil Kumar*  The world today is battling the grave threat of climate change . If this crisis deepens further, it may endanger the very survival of humanity. Even imperial powers express concern—though largely to shift responsibility onto others. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-30), held in Belém, Brazil from November 10–21, ended without concrete results, despite coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement . India strongly argued that developed nations should not expect developing countries to compensate for their own failures, since they are the historical and primary contributors to carbon emissions. This was precisely why countries like the United States chose not to participate.

Commission rebukes officers for arbitrary denial of RTI information

By A Representative   The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has imposed a penalty of ₹5,000 on the Public Information Officer ( Talati-cum-Minister ) of Sarigam Gram Panchayat in Valsad district for denying information to an RTI applicant by misinterpreting an earlier order of the Commission.