Nov 26, 2024 07:48 PM IST
It is important that we, as a nation, educate ourselves more about the Constitution-making process. The Constitution is not a document whose relationship ought to be limited to lawyers and judges. Every citizen of India has a stake in it and finds their voice and identity through this founding document
India is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India on November 26, 2024. On this very day, 75 years ago, the Constitution of India was adopted, with 300 members of the Constituent Assembly coming together to write the future of India. It is truly remarkable that the Constitution of India was drafted at an extraordinary moment in history when a new beginning was envisaged for an old civilisation.
While there was every reason to rejoice that we were coming out of nearly two centuries of colonial rule after fighting a non-violent struggle to seek independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, we were dealing with our own historical challenges. BR Ambedkar, the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly, in his last speech to the Assembly on November 25, 1949, discussed the idea of social democracy and observed: “Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of … social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life that recognises liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life … They form a union of trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy … Without equality, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many. Without fraternity, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many. Without fraternity, liberty and equality could not become a natural course of things. It would require a constable to enforce them.” In a way, Ambedkar was predicting the challenges of the future.
That said, this is an opportune time for India to establish a Constitution Museum and Rights and Freedoms Academy that will do justice to our history and heritage and commemorate this historical milestone. The reasons for establishing such a museum and academy are:
One, to promote civic education on the history and values of the Constitution. Democracies are built around the idea of people believing and participating in nation-building. The Preamble of the Constitution rightly starts with the words, “We, the people of India …”. The Constitution of India is a binding document that brought together a diversity of people to believe in a cause and an ideal that is larger than their own. It was part of a collective imagination that was borne out of collective struggles that fought against colonialism to build a democratic society. The goal of the Constitution Museum is to narrate and illustrate this story of India through the history, evolution and values of the Constitution that shaped its creation. It is a moment in time, when we can reflect on the journey but also appreciate the opportunity that was given to us as a people to build a new democracy, a modern nation on the bedrock of traditional society.
Two, to promote a greater understanding of the Constitution-making process. It is important that we, as a nation, educate ourselves more about the Constitution-making process. The Constitution is not a document whose relationship ought to be limited to lawyers and judges. Every citizen of India has a stake in it and finds their voice and identity through this founding document. The Constitution Museum will be the institution that will fulfill the responsibility of developing civic consciousness and awareness relating to the constitution-making process. This is already part of our history and heritage, but it ought to become part of our future and destiny.
Three, to celebrate the contribution of all the members of the Constituent Assembly. We have a historic opportunity to pay tribute, recognise and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of all the members of the Constituent Assembly. While we may be aware of the contributions of several leading members of the Assembly like Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and BR Ambedkar, much less is known about the larger composition of the Constituent Assembly which had 300 members who represented the diversity of India. Among them were 15 outstanding women whose contributions to the debates of the Constituent Assembly remain less known and not recognised. The Constitution Museum will serve as the repository of all such information for present and future generations.
The Constitution Museum should also have the Rights and Freedoms Academy which will trace the evolution of various rights and freedoms in the Constitution through the tracing of the 75-year journey of the Constitution. This will be the greatest tribute that we can ever pay to the members of the Constituent Assembly but also to the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India.
C Raj Kumar is founding vice chancellor, OP Jindal Global University. The views expressed are personal
Get Current Updates on…
See more
