Author – Dr. Kapilendra Das

The  26th of November, the day of an important landmark in India’s journey as an Independent, Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, and Democratic, Republic is celebrated as ‘National Constitution Day’ in India, also known as “Samvidhan Divas”. On this day, the constituent Assembly adopted the constitution of India in 1949 to secure the Indian Citizen’s justice, liberty, equality, and union which came into effect two months later, on January 26, 1950, and India became a Republic.

India was liberated from British colonial rule and gained independence on the 15th. August 1947. The Indians felt the taste of freedom, but there were no rules and regulations to govern the country. To govern India, a draft constitution was prepared by the Drafting Committee under Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s skillful Chairmanship, which was published in January 1948, and the same was finally adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949. To mark the remembrance and the anniversary of the day of the adoption of the constitution of India, November, 26 has been celebrated as “National Constitution Day” in India.

As the Indian Constitution is a legal document and rule of the book, in 1979, the Bar Association of Supreme Court, India, resolved that ‘National Law Day’ be celebrated to mark the adoption of the constitution of India on November, 26 every year. Since then, the day of 26 November has been celebrated as “National Law Day” in India by the members of the legal fraternity.

While laying the foundation stone on the Ambedkar memorial at the Indu Mills Compounds in Mumbai on October 15, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that henceforth, 26 November will be celebrated throughout the Nation as “National Constitution Day” every year. To promote constitutional values and create a growth of awareness among the Indian citizens, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India declared 26 November as “ National Constitution Day” on 19 November 2015 by a National Gazette Notification since then, the first National Constitution Day was celebrated on 26 November 2015 and has been celebrating on 26 November every year throughout the country as a mark of tribute to India’s first Law Minister Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Architect and Father of the Indian constitution and the other members of the drafting committee and to commemorate the adoption of the constitution of India.

The Day we celebrate our Republic Day is the day our constitution was legally enforced, and the Day we celebrate as our Constitution Day is the day our constitution was adopted.

The constitution is the Supreme Law of India. It lays down the framework of governance in the country. The constitution of India declares a Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and Sovereign Republic, which gives the citizens of India equal justice and liberty and promotes the values of fraternity. It defines and determines the powers of the Government, the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. The Indian constitution is the backbone of the country, which has kept the country together with many languages, castes, religions, ethnicities, diversities, and cultural identities. It lays down the rights and duties of the citizens.

Indian Constitution is not merely a document but an instrument protecting the rights and freedom of all sections of society and provides every citizen the right to equality without discriminating based on caste, creed, sex, religion, or language and ensures that the nation remains on the path of progress and prosperity.

Indian constitution has a Preamble with which it begins and which embodies its objectives and fundamental principles. The Preamble, indeed, embodies the philosophy of the Constitution. Reading through the Preamble, one can see the purposes that serve, namely the declaration of (1) the source of the constitution (2) a statement of its objectives, and (3) the date of its adoption. The Preamble proceeds to define the objectives of the Indian Republic. These objectives are four manners: Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. It is the soul of the Indian Constitution. The Preamble, through its noble words, promises Justice, Social, Economic, and Political, Liberty of thought, expression, belief, freedom of faith, and worship, Equality of status and opportunity, and promotes fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.

The Judiciary acts as the guardian of the constitution. It plays a crucial role in protecting and upholding the principles of the Constitution, interpreting its provisions, and ensuring that they are implemented. The judiciary also plays an important role in protecting the rights of the citizens and in ensuring that the other branches of government do not exceed their powers.

The main aim of celebrating “National Constitution Day” is to make Indian citizens aware of constitutional values and create awareness among the citizens. It is the key role of every responsible citizen of India to read the preamble of the Indian constitution and to know citizen’s fundamental duties on Constitution Day. On this day we should take the pledge to fulfill our responsibilities towards our nation and the fundamental duties. These are the moral obligations that promote the spirit of patriotism and the brotherhood for upholding the unity of India. These make a responsible citizen of the country.

We celebrate “National Constitution Day” to spread the importance and awareness of the constitution of India and to honor the ideas and thoughts of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who helped the Indians become truly democratic. Constitution Day also helps us to remember the hardship and sincere efforts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, which he took framing of the constitution of our nation.

National Constitution Day should not be considered as the occasion that is to be celebrated by the government, the political parties, or the members of the legal fraternity. But we, as responsible citizens of India, should also be enthusiastic about celebrating the day massively.

E.mail Id – daskapilendra2012@gmail.com