OUR CONSTITUTION IS THE STRONG FOUNDATION STONE OF OUR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC: PRESIDENT MURMU

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that 75 years ago, on this very day, in this very Central Hall of the ‘Samvidhan Sadan’, the Constituent Assembly accomplished the huge task of framing the Constitution for a newly independent country. On that day, through the Constituent Assembly, we, the people of India, adopted, enacted and gave to ourselves this Constitution.

The President said that our Constitution is the strong foundation stone of our democratic republic. Our Constitution ensures our collective and individual dignity.

The President said that on completing the 75 years of Independence, all the citizens celebrated 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. On 26th January, next year, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Republic. Such celebrations provide us with opportunities to take stock of the journey so far and plan better for the journey ahead. Such celebrations strengthen our unity and show that we are all together in our efforts to achieve the national goals.

The President said that in one sense, the Constitution of India was the outcome of nearly three years of deliberations by some of the greatest minds. But, in the true sense, it was the outcome of our long freedom struggle. The ideals of that incomparable national movement came to be enshrined in the Constitution. Those ideals have been captured succinctly in the Preamble of the Constitution. They are justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. These ideals have defined India since the ages. The ideals highlighted in the Preamble of the Constitution complement each other. Together, they create an environment in which every single citizen finds an opportunity to flourish, contribute to society, and help fellow citizens.

The President said that our Constitutional ideals get strength from the active participation of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary as well as all the citizens. The Fundamental Duties of every citizen have been clearly mentioned in our Constitution. Protecting the unity and integrity of India, promoting harmony in the society, ensuring the dignity of women, protecting the environment, developing a scientific temper, safeguarding public property and taking the nation to higher levels of achievement are included among the Fundamental Duties of the citizens.

The President said that in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, it is the responsibility of the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary to work together to make the lives of common people better. She noted that the aspirations of the people have found expression in the many legislations enacted by the Parliament. She said that during the last few years, the Government has taken many steps for the development of all sections of the society, especially the weaker sections. Such decisions have improved the lives of the people and are providing them new opportunities for development. She was happy to note that with the efforts of the Supreme Court, the judiciary of the country is making efforts to make our judicial system more effective.

The President said that our Constitution is a living and progressive document. Our farsighted Constitution-makers had provided for a system of adopting new ideas, according to the needs of the changing times. We have achieved many ambitious goals related to social justice and inclusive development through the Constitution. With a new approach, we are earning for India a new identity in the comity of nations. Our Constitution-makers had given a Directive for India to play an important role in promotion of international peace and security. Today, besides being a leading economy, our country is playing this role very well as the ‘Vishwa-Bandhu’.

The President said that in the Constitutional journey of nearly three-quarters of a century, the nation has succeeded to a remarkable extent in showing those capacities and developing those conventions. She emphasised that the lessons we have learnt should be passed on to the next generations. She noted that the celebrations of ‘Samvidhan Divas’ every year since 2015 have helped in increasing awareness among our youth about our founding document, the Constitution. She urged all the fellow citizens to inculcate the Constitutional ideals in their conduct; follow the Fundamental Duties and move forward with dedication towards the national goal of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by the year 2047.