Pained that our children are not exposed to the original copy of the Constitution containing miniatures of Ram, Krishna & Buddha – Vice President
VP calls for making available the Constitution in its authentic form, as given to us by our founding fathers
VP describes the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya as our ‘tryst with divinity’
Emergency was the darkest and most shameful period of our Constitutional journey – Vice President
VP appeals to all citizens to follow fundamental duties; says it costs nothing
VP expresses happiness over conferment of Bharat Ratna to Shri Karpoori Thakur
VP inaugurates ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ Campaign, commemorating the 75th year of India as a Republic
VP launches Tele-facilitation Service – Nyaya Setu
By PIB Delhi
The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today expressed his pain over the fact that our children are not exposed to the copy of the constitution that has been signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly. Noting that this original document contains 22 miniature paintings, positioned thoughtfully above each part of the constitution, VP said that through these miniatures, the founding fathers of the constitution expressed the essence of our five-thousand-year-old culture. But you have not been able to see it because it is not part of the books, he said while urging the Union Law Minster to take the initiative to ensure that the country is made available the constitution in its authentic form, as given to us by our founding fathers.
Inaugurating the ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ Campaign, commemorating the 75th year of India as a Republic, the Vice President described fundamental rights as quintessence to our democracy and an inalienable facet of democratic values. Underlining that one cannot claim to be living in a democracy if one doesn’t enjoy fundamental rights, VP highlighted that in this part of the constitution, we have the miniature of Shri Ram, Sita & Laxman returning to Ayodhya.
Describing the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya as a historic moment, Shri Dhankhar stated “After a tryst with destiny and tryst with modernity (GST), we had a tryst with divinity on January 22, 2024.” Noting that the passage to the construction of Ram Mandir was a very long and painful process, the VP said that still it was achieved in accordance with the law & which shows the country believes in the rule of law.
Looking back at India’s journey as a Republic, the Vice President said that over the past 75 years, our constitution has enabled us to traverse the difficult terrain and record epochal developments. Describing the declaration of emergency as the darkest and most shameful period of our constitutional journey, he underlined that it deprived millions of their fundamental rights by putting them in jail. “We expected the judiciary to rise to the occasion, unfortunately for the judiciary also, it’s one of the darkest periods. Nine high courts took the stand that fundamental rights cannot be put on hold even during an emergency. But in ADM Jabalpur case, Supreme Court turned down those nine high court,” VP remarked.
Stating that there can be no regret allowed when people fail in their constitutional duties, he underlined that those holding constitutional positions have no alibi & have to vindicate the trust imposed on them by the Constitution.
Describing fundamental duties as an important part of the constitution, VP made an appeal to everyone to follow fundamental duties noting that it takes no expense & makes us good citizens.
Urging all organs of state to function within their respective domains, Shri Dhankhar said that in a dynamic world, issues are bound to happen between legislature, executive & judiciary. However, he called for ironing out such issues through a collaborative approach & structured mechanism and cautioned against not raising these on public platforms.
Calling for debate & dialogue instead of disruption & disturbances in legislatures, VP expressed his dismay that when great legislation – changing the colonial Dand-Vidhanto Nyaya-Vidhan was being discussed by the Parliament, none of the legal luminaries in Rajya Sabha came forward to make a contribution during this historical opportunity.
Paying rich tributes to the architect of the Indian constitution, Dr BR Ambedakar, VP said that he means a lot to all of us& his rise to the position of architect of India was not an easy one. Stating that Dr Ambedkar should have been awarded Bharat Ratna much earlier, Shri Dhankhar expressed satisfaction over the fact that he was part of the government & the parliament that did Justice to one of the greatest sons of Bharat by awarding him Bharat Ratna in 1990. “In the same stream, and for same cause, justice has been done to another great son from Bihar, Shri Karpoori Thakur ji,” he added.
Expressing happiness that in Amrit Kaal, our youth is being made aware of the sacrifices of many unsung heroes, Shri Dhankhar said, we have rediscovered our Bharat emotively and nationally.
After inaugurating the ‘HamaraSamvidhanHamaraSamman’ Campaign, Shri Dhankhar also launched Nyaya Setu, a Tele-facilitation Service, that aims to expand the reach of legal services to the last mile.
Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State (I/C) for Law & Justice, Shri R. Venkataramani, Attorney General of India, Shri SKG Rahate, Secretary, Department of Justice, Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU and others attended the event.
