National Constitution Day: An Overview
We all know that India celebrates National Constitution Day every November 26. The day is also known as National Law Day and Samvidhaan Diwas. It honored the day in 1949 when the Constituent Assembly adopted the Indian Constitution. Basically, to promote “Constitutional Principles among Residents,” the Indian government chose to designate November 26 as Constitution Day in 2015.
When Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Statue of Equality memorial’s foundation was laid in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced November 26 as National Constitution Day. It was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s 125th birthday. This day acknowledges and praises the framers’ efforts and enlightens the citizens about the core principles that the Constitution upholds. The historical occurrence that signaled the beginning of a new era in 1949 is being commemorated this year on its 73rd anniversary. Let’s first understand more about our Indian Constitution!
About Indian Constitution & Significance
India’s Constitution is the highest law and holds all the supreme power. The Constitution outlines the integral governmental rights, controls, and obligations and the associated procedures, practices, and concepts. Not only this, but it also confers constitutional supremacy rather than parliamentary supremacy because it was drafted by a constituent assembly and approved by the people of the country, according to a declaration in the Preamble.
The Indian Constitution is one of the longest-written constitutions. The Indian Constitution took roughly two years, 11 months, and 18 days to prepare. It had 395 Articles and 8 Schedules and was about 145,000 words long. The Constitution’s original proposal was handwritten. Even in today’s time, you’ll find the handwritten proposal in the library of Parliament.
Now let’s dive into who wrote the Indian Constitution.
Who Wrote Indian Constitution & Structure
Although Prem Narayan Raizada wrote the original outlines of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is acclaimed as the father of that document. Every page of the Constitution holds tremendous importance, as every single word highlights a value.
While talking about the structure, the Government of India Act of 1935 served as the foundation. It advocated the formation of all-Indian federations, dividing power between the national administration and the states into provinces and princely states as structural divisions.
Birth Of the Indian Constitution
India gained independence on August 15, 1947, and we memorialize Republic Day on January 26, 1950, to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution. The request from the Constituent Assembly was first made in 1934. Communist party leader M.N. Roy first proposed the concept. The Congress party took the same in the forefront, and in 1940, the British government finally agreed to this.
The Constituent Assembly for constitution-making convened for the first time before independence, and the date was December 9, 1946. The Constituent Assembly’s first president, Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, was chosen. The meeting went on until January 24, 1950. The Assembly convened for the first time before independence on December 9, 1946. Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha became the very first president. The meeting continued until January 24, 1950, which comprised 11 sessions in total and held meetings for roughly 166 days.
Moreover, between the Indian Constitution’s approval and implementation, two months were set out for careful reading. During this period, Hindi to English translations were also completed. After all this, finally, a Drafting Committee was decided on August 29, 1947. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar served as the first chairman. The overall process was finished on January 24, 1950. On that day, the committee members signed two handwritten copies of the paper (in both languages).
Constitution Starts With Preamble
As most of us know, the Preamble, the first section of our Constitution, is remarkably well-written. It presents a glimpse of the written text. The Constitution’s Preamble describes the goals and objectives of the document. Furthermore, it affirms that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic nation dedicated to ensuring the rights of all people to justice, equality, and liberty.
The Preamble’s first and last phrases, “We, the people…adopt, legislate and give ourselves this Constitution,” clearly emphasize the authority granted to every Indian citizen and our commitment to upholding Indian law.
The elaborateness of the Indian Constitution can be viewed as both a flaw and a haven for lawyers, according to Sir Ivor Jennings, who said that it is the largest and most complete Constitution in the world.
Bottom Line
Overall, it is not wrong to suggest that the Constitution, which both lawmakers and residents revere for its power, provides us liberty, a sense of existence, equality, and everything. It is needed by a citizen to live a decent life and is the source of India’s essence of a democratic republic. And to celebrate this moment and document, we celebrate National Constitution Day.
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