Dear India, Don’t Let Our Constitution Down

When ‘Secular’ was not ‘Sickular’. Watch the kids recite the preamble of India.

Have we forgotten the values of our Indian constitution? 

(Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

Camera: Abhay Sharma
Video Editor: Kunal Mehra

(This story was first published on 25 November 2017 and is being reposted from The Quint’s archives on Constitution Day.)

The drafting committee headed by BR Ambedkar took nearly three years to create the world’s biggest constitution, with 345 articles along with various clauses and sub-clauses.

The document begins with the Preamble, the idea for which was borrowed from the United States of America. It lays down the objectives and the purpose of the Constitution and establishes the source from which the documents draws its authority — the people.

The Preamble to our Constitution pledged to create a “Sovereign Democratic Republic”. It lays down noble ideals of “liberty” , “justice”, “dignity of the individual”. The words “secular” and “socialist” were added in 1972 by the 42nd amendment. That was the vision of our founding fathers. The values that we as a country were expected to uphold and honour.

But in recent years, we have seen a decline of these values. They have been under constant attack. In this video, we asked some of the students to read out the preamble with the aim to remind ourselves once again of the same ideals. It is an effort to serve as a reminder, lest we forget them completely.

The Constitution’s drafting committee was headed by BR Ambedkar took nearly three years to create the world’s biggest constitution. (Photo: Susnata Paul/The Quint)

India’s Preamble is the Guideline to its Values

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST, SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this 26th day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.