By: Amit kumaR Agarwal
- The Prime Minister addressed the Lok Sabha special discussion on 75th anniversary of adoption of Constitution today.
Addressing the House, Modi remarked that it was a matter of pride and honor for all the citizens of India and all the people across the globe who respect democracy that we are celebrating this festival of Democracy. Thanking the foresight, vision and efforts of the framers of our constitution in this remarkable and momentous journey of 75 years of our Constitution, he said that it was time to celebrate the festival of Democracy after successful completion of 75 years.
Modi was pleased that even the members of parliament were involving themselves in this celebration and expressing their views, he thanked and congratulated them for the same.
Terming the achievement of 75 years as an extraordinary feat, the Prime Minister expressed pride that the Constitution had overcome all the predicted possibilities for India, soon after its independence and the subsequent challenges to bring us all to this far. He expressed deep gratitude towards the constitution makers and the crores of citizens for this great achievement. Modi remarked that the citizens of India had passed every test in successfully adopting and living the values of the Constitution as envisioned by its makers. He said therefore it was the citizens who truly deserved all the accolades.
Modi remarked that the constitution makers never supported the view that India was born in 1947 or the constitution would come to effect from 1950, rather believed and were proud of the great tradition and heritage of India and its democracy. He added that India’s democracy and republic past has always been remarkable and has been an inspiration for the world and therefore, he added that “India is known as the mother of democracy”.
Modi underlined that we are not just a great democratic country but also the creators of democracy. Quoting Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon from the constitutional debates, the Prime Minister said that “It is after centuries, such an eventful meeting is called for, which reminds me of our great past and the earlier times when we were independent and intellectuals used to discuss and deliberate meaningful issues in the sabhas”. He then quoted Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and said “ The system of Republic is not a new idea for this great nation for we have had this system since the beginning of our history”. He then quoted Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar and said “ It is not that India is aware of democracy, there was a time when there were multiple republics in India”.
The Prime Minister lauded the role of the women during the process of making of the constitution and also empowering it further. He added that there were fifteen respected and active members in the Constituent Assembly and they had further strengthened the process of drafting the constitution by giving their original thoughts, views and ideas. Recalling that each one of them were from diverse backgrounds, Modi emphasized that the thoughtful suggestions given by the women members had a profound impact on the constitution.
PM also expressed pride that suffrage rights were given to women right from the time of independence as compared to many other countries of the world which took decades for the same. He added that with the same spirit, India during its presidency of the G-20 summit put forward the vision of Women-led development in front of the world. Modi also noted the successful enactment of the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam by all the parliamentarians and added that the Government had taken steps to ensure increased political participation of the women.
Modi emphasized that at the core of every major policy decision is women and expressed happiness that it was a great coincidence that during the completion of 75 years of constitution, the post of President of India was held by a tribal woman. He added that it was a true expression of the spirit of our constitution.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the representation and the contribution of women is constantly increasing in the parliament as well as in the council of Ministers. “The representation and contribution of women, be it in the field of social, political, education, sports or any other, has been bringing pride to the country”, exclaimed Modi and that every Indian was proud of women’s contributions in the field of science and technology, especially in the space sector. He added that the Constitution was the greatest inspiration for this.
Reiterating that India was progressing rapidly, Modi remarked that soon India will be the third largest economy in the world. He added that it was the combined resolve of 140 crore Indians to ensure that India is developed by 2047. He further added that Unity of India was the most important necessity for this resolution to be achieved. The Prime Minister noted that our Constitution is also the foundation of unity of India. Recalling that the process of framing the constitution comprised great freedom fighters, authors, thinkers, social activists, educationists and professionals from other diverse fields, Modi said that all of them were highly sensitive of the fact of Unity of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed dissatisfaction, stating that post-independence, the framers of the Constitution had unity in their hearts and minds. However, after independence, due to distorted mentalities or selfishness, the greatest blow was dealt to the core spirit of the nation's unity. The Prime Minister highlighted that unity in diversity has been India's hallmark and emphasized that we celebrate diversity, and the country's progress lies in celebrating this diversity. However, those with a colonial mindset, who could not see the good in India, and those who believed India was born in 1947, sought contradictions in this diversity. The Prime Minister remarked that instead of celebrating this invaluable treasure of diversity, efforts were made to sow poisonous seeds within it, aiming to harm the nation's unity. Modi urged everyone to make the celebration of diversity an integral part of our lives, and that will be the true tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that over the past 10 years, the government's policies have consistently aimed to strengthen the unity of India. He added that Article 370 was an obstacle to the nation's unity and acted as a barrier. Modi emphasised that the unity of the country was a priority, in line with the spirit of the Constitution, and hence, Article 370 was abrogated.
Modi emphasized the need for favorable conditions in India to advance economically and attract global investment. He added that discussions on GST had been ongoing for a long time in the country. The Prime Minister remarked that GST has played a significant role in economic unity and acknowledged the contributions of the previous government and noted that the current government had the opportunity to implement it, advancing the concept of "One Nation, One Tax."
Touching upon the importance of how ration cards have been a valuable document for the poor in our country and the difficulties encountered by a poor person when he/she moved from one state to another, Modi said that they were not entitled to any benefits. He emphasized that every citizen should have equal rights, regardless of where they are in this vast country. And added that to strengthen this sense of unity, the government had reinforced the concept of "One Nation, One Ration Card."
The Prime Minister emphasized that providing free healthcare to the poor and common citizens significantly enhances their ability to fight poverty. He highlighted that while healthcare is accessible where they work, it should also be available when they are away and facing life-threatening situations. The Prime Minister remarked that to uphold the principle of national unity, the government introduced the "One Nation, One Health Card" initiative through Ayushman Bharat. He noted that even a person from a remote area of Bihar working in Pune can receive necessary medical services with an Ayushman card.
Modi highlighted that there were times when one part of the country had electricity while another part was in darkness due to supply issues. He remarked that during the tenures of the previous governments, India was often criticized globally for its power shortages. The Prime Minister emphasized that to uphold the spirit of the Constitution and the mantra of unity, the government implemented the "One Nation, One Grid" initiative. He noted that today, electricity can be seamlessly supplied to every corner of India.