FOUNDING MOTHERS OF THE CONSTITUTION

THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN THE MAKING OF THE REPUBLIC REMAINS EXEMPLARY AND INSPIRING

- DROUPADI MURMU

As we celebrate 75 years of the Constitution, let us examine what this journey means to an ordinary citizen. Why has a written document crafted by mortals like us in flesh and blood acquired veneration of all, transcending barriers of gender, caste, religion and region in the country?

The Constitution consists of words that redefined India that is Bharat. With the strokes of many pens held by geniuses, they created pathways for the future. Most of the distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly had spent their youth fighting an alien regime and its oppression. But they were not bitter. Instead, they distilled the best traditions of India in giving shape to the country's destiny. Granting universal franchise without any discrimination or preconditions, the Constitution gave wings to hopes of millions of the underprivileged who deserved assistance.

The beauty of this document is its dynamism. It's not cast in stone. It adapts with the changing times while retaining its basic structure intact. That's the precise reason why the Indian Constitution has withstood the test of time and acted as a moral compass to steer the course of the nation. It embodied our civilisational ethos and provided a normative yardstick for the pursuit of excellence and building an ideal society.

Reading the names of the members of the Constituent Assembly, we cannot help but be full of veneration for them for converting the hopes and aspirations of “We the People” into a momentous written document. What, however, is more extraordinary is that when the rest of the world was debating the political status of women, the Constituent Assembly of India included 15 women members, from diverse backgrounds, who lent more legitimacy and credence to the process of drafting the Constitution.