The customary address to the nation by the President Ram Nath Kovind on the eve of India’s’ 71st Republic Day came as a ray of hope for those who affirm with the “principles laid down in our Constitution.”
By invoking the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar in his address, the President underscored the need to safeguard the values enshrined in the constitution.
“Our Constitution gave us rights as citizens of a free democratic nation, but also placed on us the responsibility to always adhere to the central tenets of our democracy – justice, liberty, equality and fraternity,” he stated.
The President’s reminders about constitutional values perhaps reflect the current zeitgeist, with many expressing concerns over their erosion.
Refreshingly apolitical, by default or otherwise, and highly exhortative in intent, the President also underlined the power of ‘We the People’ enshrined.
“The modern State comprises the three organs – Legislature, Executive and Judiciary, which are necessarily interlinked and interdependent...Yet, on ground, the people comprise the State. ‘We the People’ are the prime movers of the Republic. With us, the people of India, rest the real power to decide our collective future,” he added.
Invoking Gandhi, the President noted that it “becomes easier for us to follow these constitutional ideals, if we keep in mind the life and values of the Father of our Nation,” saying Gandhi’s ideals remain relevant in the nation-building efforts and his message of “truth and nonviolence, which has become all the more necessary in our times.”
“When fighting for a cause, people, particularly the youth, should not forget the gift of Ahimsa Gandhiji gave to humanity.”
Likewise, he concluded the address with Babasaheb Ambedkar: “If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgment we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives.”
In another context, the President’s telling call for respect of educational institutions was striking and can be considered as the extension of his broader enunciation of constitutional values.
“In our tradition, educational institutions are respected as temples of learning. When our land was pushed into backwardness after the long colonial rule, it was education that emerged as a path to empowerment,” Kovind stated.
"The next generation remains strongly committed to the core values of our nation. For our youth, the nation always comes first. With them, we are witnessing the emergence of a New India."
Across the country, affirmations to the Constitution of India were espoused by the constitutional heads in all the States and Union Territories. Governor of Nagaland in his message on the eve of Republic Day declared: “On this day, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the fundamental values of our Constitution – Democracy, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, Secularism and Justice for all.”
As people throughout the country celebrated the nation's Republic Day, most believe that values of democracy, pluralism, liberty, fundamental rights and so on, however, challenged, give India, its unique flavour.
The De Jure Executives of the ‘State’ have hammered home the commitment to central tenets of the constitution. It is the duty of the De Facto Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and ‘We the People,’ to follow suit by upholding, abiding and defending the values and ethos of the Constitution of India.
