UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION IS A PREREQUISITE FOR BUILDING A JUST, EQUITABLE, HUMANE AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY-BANWARILAL PUROHIT
Chandigarh, November 25: The nation will celebrate Constitution Day on 26 November to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly in 1949.
On this occasion, I would like to pay tributes to the Father of Indian Constitution Baba Sahib Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and to all the great men and women who worked tirelessly, directly or indirectly to bequeath this most important legacy to us.
The observation of Constitution Day started in 2015, based on the vision of the Prime Minister of India to give due recognition to the significance of this historic date.
Our Constitution is a ‘Pavitra Granth’, the holy book of democracy and the guiding light for us. It commands reverence as the Constitution is a charter for the governance of a nation. It defines the nature and procedure of the governance and lays down rules for setting up and functioning of its institutions. The beauty of our Constitution lies in its flexibility and scope for interpretation which makes it responsive to the need of the times and is enriched by the experience of the decades. The Constitution enshrines certain timeless values that remain as our guiding principles.
The Indian Constitution is a lodestar for the socio-economic transformation of an India whose civilization has celebrated pluralism, advocated tolerance and promoted goodwill between diverse communities. These values, however, need to be preserved with utmost care and vigilance.
Our founding fathers pulled together India’s remarkable diversity to build national unity, which has brought us so far. The Constitution represented a second liberation, this time from the stranglehold of traditional inequity in gender, caste, community, along with other fetters that had chained us for long.
Over seven decades since independence and adoption of our Constitution, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to democracy, yet, we must be conscious of the fact that our democracy requires constant nurturing. At no cost should we allow the exploitation of the fault lines.
Let us strive for rapid progress but even as we do so, ensure that the benefits of economic progress percolate down to the poorest of the poor and those living in the farthest corners of our country. Let us make the poorest in our land, the part of the story of a rising India. Let us embrace education, skill development and innovation which will enable us catapult India into the future and build a knowledge economy.
We the people of India gave to ourselves our Constitution. Despite challenges, it has guided us and served our National aspirations very well. It is our solemn duty to bear true allegiance to it. ‘Constitution Day’, is appropriate and right time to begin a journey of reflection and action inspired by the Constitution of India.
It is important to realise that upholding the Constitution helps in building a strong and vibrant civil society comprising of democratic citizens. It is a prerequisite for building a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society.
Let us reiterate pledge to uphold the Constitution of India.
On this occasion, I would also like to make an appeal to the people of the City to be alive to their civic duty; to the need to maintain cleanliness in the City Beautiful. Help Administration to make City Beautiful the “Most Beautiful City”!
