Omkar Dattatray
Constitution of India is the supreme document of the country and it in fact is the life line of the nation. All other laws are subservient to constitution .The grateful nation celebrated Constitution Day yesterday that is on 26th November 2024 with enthusiasm. On this occasion various functions and programmes were held across the country .Formation and drafting of the Indian constitution has a long history as the constitution was not drafted in few days .The constitution drafting committee drafted the present constitution under the chairmanship of Dr B.R.Ambedkar who is rightly regarded the chief architect of the constitution .Constitution of the country was adopted on 26th November 1949 and it came into effect and force on 26th November 1950.Thus 26th November has a special importance for the government, political parties and people of the country at large .From year 2015,we are celebrating the constitution day and it is celebrated with great pomp and show as well as with giety .On 26th November 2024 [Tuesday] we celebrated the 75th year of the adoption of the constitution across the country. Constitution Day or Samvidhan Divas is observed annually on November 26 to mark the adoption of the constitution of India .On this day in 1949,the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the constitution and it came into effect on 26th January 1950.Celebrating constitution Day is primarily to honor Dr Ambedkar who played a pivotal role in drafting the constitution of independent India .India celebrated the 75th anniversary of its constitution on November 26.Prime Minister Modi commemorated the occasion ,highlighting the documents importance .This followed the Supreme Court’s rejection of petitions challenging the 1976 amendment that added -socialist, secular and integrity to the preamble of the constitution .’On 26th January 1950,India will be an independent country ,”father of the Indian constitution BR Ambedkar had said as he presented the draft of the Indian constitution seventy five years ago. But this optimism was accompanied by the anxiety of ”will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again .”But this anxiety proved wrong .India has maintained its independence and she will continue to remain as an independent country in future as well.PM Narendra Modi extended his wishes to the citizens saying ,”Happy constitution Day to all the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of 75th anniversary of the Indian constitution ,”as he went on to explain the significance of the book .This comes a day after the Apex court rejected the petitions sought to challenge the 1976 amendment to the constitution ,which added the terms” socialist”,” secular”, and ”integrity” into the preamble .These words were added through the 42rd Constitutional Amendment ,passed during the tenure of the Indira Gandhi government .On November 19,2015,the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced the Government of India’s decision to observe November 26 as Constitution Day each year ,with the aim of promoting the various values enshrined in the constitution among citizens .From being used as a weapon in politics to being a tool for the judiciary ,the book has single-handedly acted as the legislative ,the executive and judiciary rule book and guide .Ambedkar has said about the apprehensions about the success of the constitution ,”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 ”But the constitution has stood the test of time as the country and its politico-legal system is functioning well all these years of its enforcement and we should take pride in it .Constitution Day serves as a tribute to the vision of the Constituent Assembly ,which comprised leaders and thinkers from diverse fields and backgrounds .It underscores the transformative journey of India from a colonized nation to a sovereign nation. The objectives of constitution Day celebration promotes the following goals. Building Constitutional Awareness -‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ focusses on simplifying and popularizing the Constitution’s core principles for the citizens .It helps citizens understand the values of justice ,equality ,liberty and fraternity that the constitution promotes .The slogan of the Constitution Day is -There is no democracy without constitution. However slogan of the constitution varies every year focusing on different aspects of the constitution .Constitution defines democracy so we should understand its supremacy .The whole country runs according to a constitution so respect it .Constitution protects our rights all the day and night .Constitution Day also known as Samvidhan Diwas ,is celebrated every year on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Indian constitution shaping the democratic framework of the nation .Under the leadership of BR Ambedkar ,the Constituent Assembly finalized the constitution after three years in 1949.The constitution of India as already said above came into effect on January 26,1950 ,marking the birth anniversary of the Indian Republic .Recognizing the significance of this historic event ,the Government of India officially declared November 26 as Constitution Day in 2015,under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment .The constituent Assembly drafted the constitution in 1946 under the 1946 Cabinet Mission Plan.BR Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee which prepared the longest constitution which originally included 395articles,22 parts and 12 schedules .The constitution though almost sacrosanct is subject to amendments. The constitution has undergone several amendments .One of the amendments in 1976 through the 42rd Amendment introduced Article 51-A listing ten duties inspired by Indian traditions and global practices .An eleventh duty was added in 2002.It is worth noting that the is the constitution is supreme document of the country and it binds the legislature ,executive ,judiciary and the fourth estate that is the press .All the organs of the government have to work within the confines and jurisdiction laid down by the constitution .Anything which violates the constitution and is ultra virus and so is void and illegal .Constitution is almost Sacrosanct but it can be amended by following the procedure given in the constitution itself .But the basic structure of the constitution cannot be altered and amended .The Government of India declared 26 November as Constitution Day on 19 November 2015 by a gazette notification .The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi made the declaration on 11 October 2015 while laying the foundation stone of the B.R.Ambedkar’s Statue of Equality memorial in Mumbai .The year 2021 was the 131st birth anniversary of Ambedkar ,who had chaired the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly and played a pivotal role in the drafting of the constitution .Previously this day was celebrated as Law Day.26 November was chosen to spread the importance of the constitution and to spread the thoughts and values as well as ideas of Ambedkar .Constitution Day is not a public holiday .Various departments of the Government of India celebrate the constitution Day .Centre government ,state governments and the UT’s celebrate the day .In our J&K UT LG Manoj Sinha chaired a function to commemorate the Constitution Day and addressed the gathering and threw light on the principles enshrined in the constitution. To sum up, it can be opined that constitution of India is the life line of the country and guide to the three wings of government and the press .Let us celebrate constitution Day with pride and uphold the constitution.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)