Indian Parliament serves as example for many democracies : President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu said India’s Constitution is a guiding text for taking the country forward with a nationalist mindset by abandoning the colonial mindset
NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the Indian Parliament, which expresses public aspirations in the world’s largest democracy, today serves as an example for many democracies around the world. Referring to the Constitution as the document of our “national pride”, she said it is the “text of our national identity… a guiding text for taking the country forward with a nationalist mindset by abandoning the colonial mindset”.
Speaking on the occasion of Constitution Day or Samvidan Divas celebration in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, the President said the ideals that express the soul of our Constitution are social, economic and political justice; liberty, equality, and fraternity.
“Our Constitution makers wanted our collective and individual self-respect to be ensured through the Constitution. I am very happy to say that in the last decade, our Parliament has presented very effective examples of expressing people’s aspirations,” she said in her speech in Hindi.
The President said that the strong arguments given in the Constituent Assembly in favour of adopting the parliamentary system are relevant even today and praised the decision to celebrate the day, taken in 2015, as meaningful. “On this day, the entire nation reaffirms its respect for our Constitution, the foundation of Indian democracy, and its makers,” she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers and lawmakers from both the Houses were present on the occasion.
In her address, the President said the people of India, both individually and collectively through numerous events, are made aware of constitutional ideals.
Reflecting on the core values of the Constitution, she said members of Parliament have actualised the vision of the Constitution makers and a tangible testament to the success of our parliamentary system is that India is rapidly progressing toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy.
“India has achieved one of the world’s greatest successes on the scale of economic justice, with nearly 250 million people coming out of poverty,” she said.
Keeping in mind the social and technological developments, important legislations related to the criminal justice system have been implemented, she said. “The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, based on the spirit of justice rather than punishment, have been implemented,” she said.
“In our Constitution, social justice has been given priority. Efforts are being made to promote inclusive development in accordance with the ideals of social justice. Such initiatives include providing reservations to Economically Weaker Sections in educational institutions and employment; enacting and implementing a special Act for differently-abled persons by expanding the definition of the Act; and granting constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes. By curbing the social evil of triple talaq, Parliament has taken a historic step towards the empowerment and social justice of our sisters and daughters,” she said.
She also referred to the tax reforms implemented in the form of the Goods and Services Tax and said by repealing the provisions of Article 370, “an obstacle that had been hindering the country’s inclusive political integration was removed.”
The President, who released a digital version of the Constitution in nine languages–Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia and Assamese–went on to say that the parliamentary system, reflecting public expression, has become stronger in various dimensions.
The President said that by moving forward in accordance with the constitutional system, our country’s executive, legislature, and judiciary have strengthened India’s development and provided stability and support to her citizens.
Lawmakers, she said, have not only taken the country forward but have also developed a healthy tradition of deep political thinking. “In the coming eras, when comparative studies of various democracies and constitutions will be conducted, Indian democracy and the Constitution are described in golden letters,” she said.
In his speech, vice president CP Radhakrishnan paid tribute to the framers of the Constitution and said they drafted it in such a way that in its every page, we see the soul of our nation.
“ The great scholars of the drafting committee and members of the Constituent Assembly gave insightful thoughts to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of crores of Indians. Their selfless contributions make Bharat as the largest democracy of the world. Our Constitution was born out of intellect, and lived experiences, sacrifices, hopes and aspirations.The soul of our Constitution has proved that Bharat is one and will be one forever,” he said.
The VP, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said by adopting a pragmatic and saturation approach, we have been able to perform well on many development indicators. “From nowhere, we are now the fourth largest economy of the world and very soon we will become the third largest economy. That is why the world is now looking at us.”
Democracy, he said, is not a new concept to India and history reveals that democracy existed in Vaishali in the north and Chola rulers adopted the kudavolai system in the south.
“No democracy can survive without the conscious contribution of the citizens. In our Mother Bharat, every citizen, whether they are rich or poor, always contributes to strengthen democracy,” he said.
Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, who also spoke on the occasion, called on the nation to put constitutional values into practice, calling it the first essential step towards a developed India.
The Preamble’s ‘We the People of India’ are not just words, but the most powerful expression of India’s unity, collective strength, and public welfare, Birla said.
Justice, equal opportunity, and human dignity guaranteed by the Constitution are the strongest foundations of India’s democratic character, he added.
