JANUARY 26 is an import-laden day for India. On this day in 1950, it made the transition to a self-governing, democratic nation under its own supreme law derived from its majestic Constitution. This historic document was adopted and enacted on November 26, 1949, and came into effect two months later.
The Constituent Assembly took almost three years to complete the Herculean task of drafting the Constitution under the chairmanship of Dr BR Ambedkar. During this period, it held 11 sessions covering 165 days. The deliberations and debates from which a consensual template was distilled are thoughtful and on occasion profound as a diverse people, subjugated by harsh and ruthlessly extractive colonial rule, articulated in a lucid and expansive manner what freedom would mean for them.
The Preamble to the Constitution is powerful: “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.”
Parsing the Preamble and reflecting on the grand spectacle of the Republic Day parade in Delhi, some aspects of how India was envisioned in 1950 merit scrutiny. The phrase “assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation” points to the dual responsibility that devolved on the nascent Indian Republic and the elected leaders chosen to govern the new State.
Defending and safeguarding the territorial integrity of the nation is an onerous and sacred duty. To its credit, the Indian fauj (military) rose to the occasion from the first challenge of October 1947 in Kashmir to Op Sindoor last year.
This dedication to the flag and the country is traditionally showcased at the Republic Day parade, and citizens are comforted by the resolve of the men and women in uniform.
Brig Mohammad Usman, Lt Col Ardeshir Tarapore, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Commodore Babru Bhan Yadav, Lt Arun Khetarpal, Lance Naik Albert Ekka and Subedar Major Bana Singh, among scores of military personnel, are representative of the gallantry that comes to the fore when national unity and territorial integrity are at stake.
National security is non-negotiable. Its principal guardian, the military, remains committed to its calling — this is reassuring.
However, when it comes to the individual citizen and what the Preamble envisages as “assuring the dignity” and securing “justice, liberty and equality”, the picture is not as reassuring.
Equality among citizens is deemed to be a foundational tenet, but in contemporary India, it is evident that some are more equal than others. Majoritarianism is the flavour of the decade, and national politics is now played out along a divisive agenda. A bitter and deeply embedded polarisation over religion and politics has engulfed the social fabric. The ‘othering’ of many minorities on religious, ethnic and caste identities has become a disturbing feature.
The 2017 killing of 15-year-old Junaid Khan on a train near Ballabhgarh (Haryana) and the tragic death of 24-year-old Anjel Chakma, a final-year MBA student, in Dehradun last month book-end this trend of deplorable vigilante violence. In both cases, the victims were attacked with impunity as they looked ‘different’; the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice.
In the Anjel case, he and his brother were taunted for looking ‘Chinki’, a derogatory term used for citizens of northeastern states. The siblings objected, and Anjel affirmed in vain: “We are not Chinese, we are Indians, what certificate should we show to prove that?”
Who then are the “we” that were brought under the inclusive umbrella of the Constitution? Junaid and Anjel are the tip of a very murky and blood-stained iceberg that goes against the ethos of what was envisioned in January 1950. Regrettably, even Santa Claus has become an ‘outsider’ for some vigilante groups, with the State remaining passive when mobs vandalise Christmas decorations.
If equality of some citizens and their safety has been muddied, the lack of commitment to fraternity is even more depressing. India’s vast population has been progressively polarised through divisive politics, and those exposed to social media, even more so. It is now commonplace to find such an intractable divide within families, among friends and across society.
Debate and banter of yesteryear have been replaced by angry diatribe and intense dislike, veering towards hatred, for any view or opinion that does not conform to the majoritarian template. Dissent is deemed anti-national. Fraternity and amity are steadily being sucked out of the socio-cultural fabric of the nation. This is a far cry from the aspirational vision of the founding fathers. Angry brittleness has replaced carefully nurtured consensual societal tolerance.
Assuring the dignity of the individual is a grave responsibility of those entrusted with governance — the elected leaders. (It merits repetition that they are not “rulers” of yore). This objective finds a resonance in ancient Indian thought and corresponds with the yogakshema concept of the Arthashastra (circa 4th century BC). In the elucidation of the duties that devolved on the Mauryan ruler of that period, the safety and security of the most vulnerable citizens was the benchmark of righteous governance.
Extrapolating this to India’s current human development index makes for a dismal litany. Highly polluted air has become a health hazard in many Indian cities, and the national capital grapples with this problem year after year — ineffectually.
The majority of the people don’t have access to safe drinking water. The recent deaths in Indore, repeatedly acclaimed as India’s cleanest city, due to contaminated water is a case in point. Inadequate sanitation plagues many parts of India. Thanks to social media and the citizen-journalist, distressing pictures of residents living amidst garbage and overflowing sewers strip away any vestige of dignity. Education and healthcare costs are soaring, and citizens are distraught.
That sovereignty rests with the people is a core principle of democracy and this, in turn, is delegated to the State and its myriad institutions. The covenant is that those entrusted with this power will ensure the security of the nation and its citizens as per the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
The State should neither abdicate nor obfuscate in living up to its sacred constitutional commitment to the citizen.
