A Desecration of the Republic, and Our Tryst with Destiny

When the Preamble to the Constitution of India was being drafted, there was a debate on God. HV Kamath, member of the Constituent Assembly, had moved an amendment to replace, “We, the people of India”, with “In the name of God, We, the People of India”. The amendment was fiercely debated by the Constituent Assembly, and was finally put to vote. There were 41 ayes and 68 noes. We gave to ourselves a secular constitution. We adopted a democratic republic, which drew its authority from the people of India, not from a divine sanction. Our leaders were to be elected by the people, not appointed by the God. After a long struggle and countless sacrifices, India had awoken to life and freedom, and we decided to rid ourselves of the past, and walk into a new future that beckoned us. However, there were challenges ahead, and many apprehensions about the future of this republic.

In a speech to the Constituent Assembly, on 4 November 1948, Dr Ambedkar, noted the importance of Constitutional Morality,

Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realize that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on an Indian soil, which is essentially undemocratic.

He further cautioned against the perversion of the Constitution,

It is perfectly possible to pervert the Constitution, without changing its form by merely changing the form of the administration and to make it inconsistent and opposed to the spirit of the Constitution.

On 25 November 1949, in his final speech to the Constituent Assembly, Dr Br Ambedkar further warned against the misuse of the Constitution,

However good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot

The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics.

India had achieved her freedom in a non-violent democratic struggle, which was exceptional in history. Yet, there were many fault lines in the new nation. India was a nation of diverse religions, languages, cultures, and castes. Our freedom struggle had united India, beyond these divisions. Yet, there were many groups who saw this diversity as a threat and wanted to impose their narrow understanding upon the nation.

Dr Ambedkar noted,

On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country. What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again?… Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indian place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost for ever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.

In many ways, on 22 January 2024, fears and apprehensions expressed by Dr Ambedkar came true. As a leader elected by the people proclaimed himself as one appointed by the God, as a consecration of a temple took place on the desecration of the republic, as a secular state used all the political and administrative power to hail it as the true freedom, as the democracy was turned into a theocracy, our constitution was torn to shreds.

It is said that, after the Constitution of the US was adopted, someone asked Benjamin Franklin whether they had got a republic or a monarchy. To this, Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic if you can keep it”.

For long years, we took our Republic for granted. We ignored the mobs who sought to turn a secular nation into a Hindu Rahstra. We ignored the attempts to turn the democratic republic into a theocratic autocracy. While thousands marched to destroy this constitution, few marched to defend it.

We could not uphold this constitution, bestowed upon us by our freedom fighters. We could not protect this republic, for which countless people gave their lives. We could not preserve the dream of our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Maulana Azad, Bhagat Singh. And we failed in the responsibility entrusted upon us.

The question that remains before us is, will we turn our back to this adversity, will be surrender our republic to those who betrayed our freedom movement, will we be the generation that failed? Or will be fight back?

On this very day, when Jawaharlal Nehru gave the call for Purna Swaraj, and when the Constitution of India came into force, or nation stands at a crossroads. It is a moment of reckoning in our collective tryst with destiny. The country's future hangs between hope and despair. Another term for the BJP-RSS at the centre could mean formal rewriting and de-facto abrogation of the Constitution. Dethroning the current regime by democratic means is necessary to keep alive a functional democracy that provides space for dissent, opposition, struggle, and resistance.

Friends, we cannot afford to remain neutral, when our nation is in crisis. We cannot remain ashore, when the values of our freedom struggle is under attack. We cannot remain silent, when our constitution and our democracy is being dismantled. Today, the time has come to redeem our pledge. To stand together against the assault on democracy. To unite against the dismantling of our constitution. To fight against the hatred and oppression.

Friends, the time has come to renew our pledge,

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 twenty-sixth day of January, 2024, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.