Dr Pushpa Bharadwaj Wood and Venkat Raman
Auckland, December 14, 2024
The Wellington Chapter of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) marked the Constitution Day of India in conjunction with the High Commission of India on December 3, 2024, with the inaugural virtual Lecture series.
India’s High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan delivered the opening address.
The focus of the Webinar was looking at the journey of the Indian Constitution and its relevance today. The event was particularly significant since it commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Indian Constitution.
The Indian Diaspora around the world celebrates India’s Republic Day on 26th January with great enthusiasm and pride. However, not many, especially our younger generation, may be aware that our Constitution was actually presented to the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949, making this year the 75th year!
The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 with Constitutionalism as the spirit or soul of it. It enforces Fundamental Rights to Citizens of India to establish ‘Political Democracy’ in the country.
A Living Document
Speaking at the Webinar Ms Bhushan reminded us of the core tenet of the Constitution and how it has served India well over the past 75 years. She reminded the participants of the role women played in drafting the Constitution and their participation in taking the draft through the Constituent Assembly to its adoption stage.
“The Constituent Assembly had 15 women members which shows the progressive thinking of a newly independent country. The Constitution is a living document and in the past 75 years has gone through several changes already to stay relevant and meet the needs of the changing needs of the nation,” she said and congratulated GOPIO for organising this important discussion.
GOPIO was privileged to have Professor Hindol Sengupta joining us from India to deliver the inaugural Lecture. A noted historian, academic and journalist, he is Professor of International Relations at the O P Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana.
Paying a special tribute to the late Dr Bibek Debroy, an eminent Economist who served the federal government in various capacities during several assignments, Professor Sengupta outlined the deep Dharmic values of India’s civilisational history and the immense value that the Constitution has added to India’s political, economic and social fabric.
“The Indian Constitution ensures that people are brought together,” he said and emphasised that being a legal document, it is progressive because it is by nature dynamic and adapts to changing times.
Dr Pushpa Wood is the Chairperson of the Wellington Chapter of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin. She chaired the Webinar with GOPIO Member Dr Arpita Das as the Moderator. Ms Wood lives in Wellington and is an Indian Newslink Columnist. The above Report was edited at our copy desk.
The following was gathered from Government of India sources:
Constitution Day, known as ‘Samvidhan Divas,’ is celebrated in India on 26th November every year (and by the Diplomatic Missions of the country and the Indian Diaspora around the world) to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India.
On 26th November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, which came into effect a year later, celebrated as India’s Republic Day (January 26).
Year-long Celebrations with Four Pillars
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Indian government issued a notification on 19th November 2015 relating to the celebration of Constitution Day.
The country commemorated a historic milestone this year, marking the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, establishing India as a Sovereign, Democratic Republic.
The 75th Commemorative Celebrations will be year-long and the activities will be around the four pillars, namely Preamble of the Constitution, Know Your Constitution, Making of the Constitution and Celebrating the Glory of the Constitution.
The main function was held today on 26th November 2024 in the Central Hall of the old Parliament known as Samvidhan Sadan.
Among those who attended the Celebrations were President Draupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Ministers, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.
Remarkable Vision
Mr Birla highlighted the remarkable vision of the framers of the Constitution, particularly Dr B R Ambedkar and their dedication to creating a document that ensures the protection of fundamental rights for all citizens, regardless of their background.
A short film was played, highlighting the glory of the Indian Constitution. The film showcased the making of the Constitution, the contributions of key figures and its historical journey in shaping India’s democratic framework. It highlighted the Constitution’s role in addressing the aspirations of a diverse nation and its continued relevance over the past 75 years, reflecting on key amendments and judicial milestones.
Mr Dhankhar emphasised the profound significance of the Constitution and its continued relevance in creating India’s democratic identity. He praised the foresight of the Constituent Assembly in shaping India’s future, focusing on consensus. He called for adherence to both Fundamental Rights and Duties, prioritising national interests over political divides, and warned against placing creed above country.
A Commemorative Coin and a Postal Stamp were released at the event.
Modi on the Constitution
Later, speaking at the Supreme Court of India, Mr Modi said that as the country marks its Constitution Day, it should not be forgotten that this was also the anniversary of the Mumbai Terror Attacks. He said that India would give a fitting reply to “every terror organisation that threatens the security and integrity of India.’
Recalling the elaborate debates and discussions of the Constituent Assembly regarding the Constitution of India, Mr Modi quoted Dr Ambedkar: “The Constitution is not a mere Lawyer’s document, it is a spirit, it is always the spirit of age.”
“This is imperative and the authors of the Constitution have provided us with the liberty to interpret it from time to time by making appropriate decisions according to time and situation. They were well aware that the dreams and aspirations of India will scale new heights with time and the needs of the people of Independent India will also evolve along with the challenges. Therefore, they did not make the Constitution as a mere document, but a living, continuously flowing stream,” Mr Modi said.
Stating that the Constitution is a guide to the present and the future, he said that it has shown the right path to tackle the various challenges that have cropped up in the last 75 years of its existence. He said that the Constitution even encountered the dangerous times of Emergency faced by Indian Democracy.
“The Constitution has met every need and expectation of the Country. It was only by the power granted by the Constitution that is in force in Jammu and Kashmir today. Jammu and Kashmir is marking the first Constitution Day this year,” he said.
Important Phase of Change
India is going through an important phase of change, Mr Modi said and added that the Constitution is showing the country the right path as a guiding light.
Emphasising that now the path of India’s future is achieving big dreams and big resolutions, he said that today the goal of every citizen of India is to build a Viksit Bharat (Developed India), a place where each citizen is ensured of getting a quality and dignity of life.
“This is a great medium of ensuring Social Justice and in the spirit of the Constitution. Therefore, many steps have been taken in the past few years to ensure socioeconomic justice such as opening more than 530 million bank accounts for people who did not have access to banks. In the past decade, more than 40 million people have been assured of completed houses and 100 million gas cylinder connections given to households,” he said.
According to Mr Modi, underscored there were only 30 million houses in India which had household tap connections even after 75 years of Independence.
“I am pleased that my government has given more than 120 million household tap water connections in the last five to six years, easing the living of citizens and women in particular. This has strengthened the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
Religious Leaders
Mr Modi said that the Original Indian Constitution had pictures of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lord Hanuman, Lord Buddha, Bhagwan Mahavira and Guru Govind Singh.
“These symbols of Indian culture were given place in the Constitution to ensure that it constantly keeps us aware and mindful of human values. Human Values are the basis of today’s Indian policies and decisions,” he said.
He said that the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (the Official Criminal Code which came into effect on July 1, 2024 replacing the old Indian Penal Code) ensures speedy delivery of justice to the citizens and that the punishment-based system has changed to a justice-based system.
“The historic Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced to increase the political participation of women. These steps were undertaken to ensure the identity and rights of the third gender people and facilities to ease the living of Divyang people,” Mr Modi said.
