Lost in the Celebration: Let’s internalize the Republic Day Distinctly To Usher In Egalitarian Society

Date:-  28 January, 2008

By Praful Sakya

 

THE Independence Day was the day when we got freedom from the British Empire, which need not necessarily embodied the principal of equality in largely inequality based Indian society. In that sense Republic Day is more important than the Independence Day, because on this day all the sections of the Indians were virtually brought on the equal societal pedestal. The January 26, 1950, We the people of Indian gave themselves the constitution that governs the character of the nation. The constitution is nothing but guiding-light for embodying the principals of equality in the nation that largely believes in inequalities. This January 26, the nation celebrated the 59th year of Republic with much fanfare. But the question that largely looms over, have We, the Indian, been following the constitution to the letter and soul? Or is it the Day of Aspiration of Equality lost in the celebration?

 

THE Republic-Day celebration has become some sort of ritualistic. As a part of exuberant jubilation three forces viz. Army, Navy and Air Force along with the Police and other authorities come out in the Public to show the Nation's Power, particularly Military Might, Scientific and Technological achievements and the self-professed rich dynamic and vibrant cultural diversities all over the country. And on the Top of it all, the President of India, personally comes out to lead the Nation in hoisting the National Flag and salute it as it flutters high in the blue sky. Lost in the celebration, the soul of the day, 26 January, the Republic Day.

 

TWENTY Sixth January is a D Day in Modern India. On this Day, in the Year 1950, the Constitution of Free India came into full Operation, and the Indian Union, became a Republic. The Constitution formally adopted earlier on the 26th of November 1949, by the Constituent Assembly was laboriously drafted piloted and debated in the Constituent Assembly. Apart from the PREAMBLE, the Constitution has 22 main Parts with 23 Chapters, 395 Articles and Nine Schedules.  These provide to every citizen, many Rights and Freedoms.  And naturally, with Rights and Freedoms, come many Duties. Indian Constitution is one of the largest written Constitutions in the World.  It has in it many of the noblest concepts, human mind had conceived of, before it was drafted.

 

IT is a Liberal Constitution. It is a very modern Constitution. It is a very clearly written Constitution, minus ambiguities. It grants Equality to Underclass. It guarantees Protection to all Minorities. It assures Security of Life and Property to all Weaker Sections. It asks to build bridges of opportunities to almost all Backward Classes. It offers Equal Employment to every Marginalized. It ensures Education for all, especially the SCs&STs. And there reflects the humanistic-thinking-colorful-contours of its writer the Great Messiah of the Underclass, Baba Saheb Dr B R Ambedkar.

 

THE Indian Constitution is one of the largest written Constitutions, drafted after the path breaking and epoch-making French, American and Russian Revolution.  It also came after Industrial Revolution in Europe, the Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas.  And it had been framed long after the Unification of the German and Italian Nations by Bismarck and Garibaldi.  Therefore, every Progressive and Noble Thoughts of the World have been adopted and built into Indian Constitution.  And in the words of Baba Saheb, framer of the Constitution - not to do so would have only been irrational. 

 

NO celebration is bad provided it is celebrated in the right spirit and the days like republic-day that defines the governing principals of the nation, then recognizing its far reaching impact on shaping the psyche of the nation one should not waste this day but to utilize it, to the fullest, for furthering the cause of all inclusive-equality. Instead of brandishing the military might and the military-warfare and equipments those are mostly purchased from the developed nations, can’t we emphasis only and only on the disseminating the basics features of the constitution amongst the Indian public. There is nothing wrong in showcasing the progress of the nation but who says it’s bad to promote the principals of humanity? Why not on every republic day just to put on display those scientific and technological equipments which are indigenously built. Or can’t this also be done on the day of Independence? Why not build a society that really understand the real might of the nation and all its scientific, military, technological achievements. Can’t we build in them the senses of pride being  the part of mighty nation? Can’t we help them understand all this progress and instill a sense of joy for being associated with it? And this only can be achieved by following the constitution like ritual.  

 

LET’S reserve the Republic Day only for promoting the basic features of the constitutions. Let’s put on display the real humanistic-might and humane-face of the nation- the constitution. The ingenious and indigenous product conceived, designed and devised by Dr. B R Ambedkar out of the aspiration of the young nation that should basically commit for building the nation based on equality. This is an Important Day for every Indian, particularly more so for the Underclass. It is one of the important steps, in the long and almost endless march of the Underclass, for Justice, Freedom, Liberation, Growth, Development Employment, Education and Equality. It should not happen that the celebration of the republic day be done just like any other anniversaries. It is the duty of every Indian to work towards the realization of the Aspirations of the Hundreds of Millions of Toiling Masses, the Dreams of Founding Fathers of the Nation and Framers of the Constitution to make this Country, vibrant, egalitarian, dynamic, just and fair. The republic day celebration necessarily meant to end the blatant still continuing discriminations of the helpless minorities, backwards, and Weaker Sections.

 

THE Constitution has been made by Indians for Indians and their government. When we gave ourselves such a beautiful constitution, let’s explore its real beauty. Sovereignty of the Nation lies with the People. In fact it is the People, who give the Rights to others, to all Institutions - public and private - every individual in the Country, Citizens or not, and to themselves. We the people embody all the power. We can act as agents of change. We provide specific Directions to government, Political Parties and their Members, who come forward to represent the nation, form the government, and help Govern the Nation. In nutshell it’s our prerogative to shape the character of the nation. And it’s long been thought that this nation should have gutsy and unshakable egalitarian character.   

 

TO achieve this on every Republic day the president should collectively gives pledge to Indians for abiding by the constitution. As part of Republic-day celebration president should read out the PREAMBLE and the RIGHTS & DUTIES OF INDIANS. Lets there be public participation.

 

PREAMBLE

 

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVERIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens :

 

  JUSTICE social, economic and political;

  LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

  EQUALITY of status and opportunity; and to promote among them all

  FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and unity and integrity of the Nation;

 

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November 1949, DO HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

 

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES AND RIGHTS

 

DUTIES OF INDIVIDUALS

 

The Duties of individual Citizens of India have been laid out in Article 51A, Part IVA of the Constitution, as Fundamental Duties.  These were not there in the Original version of the Constitution framed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly.  These were inserted by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act passed by the Parliament in 1976.  Those read as –

 

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

 

It shall be the duty of every citizen of India

 

v     To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and National Anthem;

 

v     To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our National Struggle for Freedom;

 

v     To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

 

v     To defend the Country and render National Service when called upon to do so;

 

v     To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

 

v     To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

 

v     To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;

 

v     To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

 

v     To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

 

v     To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the Nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement.

 

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

 

The Fundamental Rights are contained in exclusive Part III of the Constitution.  They are the –

 

v     Right to Equality – Articles 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18

 

v     Right to Freedom – Articles 19 to 22

 

v     Right against Exploitation – Articles 23 and 24

 

v     Right to Freedom of Religion – Articles 25 to 28

 

v     Cultural and Educational Rights – Articles 29 and 30

 

v     Right to Constitutional Remedies – Articles 32 to 35

 

Rights have no meaning at all, unless one can force those others, or authorities or the government to give the Rights being denied, withheld or delayed, deliberately or otherwise, to yield and give the rights. Let there be effective mechanism to ensure everything is followed with a clinical precision.

 

Jai Buddha, Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat

Praful Sakya