Naveen Calls for Upholding Constitution in Letter and Spirit

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today called for renewal of pledge to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit for further deepening the roots of democracy.

In his speech on the occasion of Constitution Day in the Odisha Assembly, the Chief Minister said, “ It is the bounden duty of each of us as also the citizens of India to uphold the Constitution to take forward the progress of India based on constitutional and republican values”.

“Let us be mindful that the Constitution is the binding glue which holds the nation together”, he said.

The CM said, “It is a historic day as on this day on 26th November 1949 the Constitution was adopted and enacted by the Constituent Assembly which gave to the people of India the Constitution, the fundamental law of our land”.

“The work of the Constituent Assembly of India and the framing of the Constitution of our country has been described by renowned American expert on Indian Constitution professor Graneville Austin as the second most important event in the history of constitution making in the world after the Philadelphia Convention of 1777”.

“The operation of the Constitution for seven decades in India constitutes a tribute to the Indian genius in sustaining parliamentary democracy and registering impressive social, economic, educational, scientific advancement of the nation without trampling upon the civil and fundamental rights of people”, he said.

Celebration of Constitution Day is a celebration of the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity and secularism which are enshrined in the Constitution for ensuring good governance and comprehensive cultivation of what Dr. B R Ambedkar described as “constitutional morality” so that people of India not only enjoy political democracy but also social and economic democracy.

“It is for this very reason that on the occasion of the celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi I suggested that the uniquely Indian ideal of Ahimsa should be incorporated in the Preamble to the Constitution to pay tribute to the father of our nation and to ensure peaceful transformation of society”, the CM said.

It was Dr. Ambedkar who in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly very thoughtfully stated that with the adoption and enactment of the Constitution only constitutional methods should be adopted by all Indians and all concerned to achieve objectives enshrined in the Constitution.

“We need to be vigilant to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In doing so we defend the unity and integrity of our country which is sustained by our Constitution to which we owe allegiance as per the oath we have taken as the Members of this august House”, the CM stressed.

On this occasion the Chief Minister paid tributes to the framers of the Constitution and gratefully recall seminal contributions of the Constituent Assembly Members from Odisha Bichitrananda Das, Sarangadhar Das, Lal Mohan Pati, Yudhisthira Mishra, Malati Choudhury, N Madhaba Rao, Krushna Chandra Gajpati Nrayan Deo, Harekrushna Mahatab, Laxminarayan Sahu, Lokanath Mishra, Nandakishore Das, Santanu Kumar Das and Raja Krushna Bose.