The Constitution of India is a guideline to live in a secular and diverse society, and it has to be a conviction in the minds of every citizen, said Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.
Inaugurating a debate on the Constitution, organised by the National Human Rights and Environmental Protection Forum in Kozhikode on Friday, he said the document was not beyond criticism, but one should not insult it.
“Our Constitution was not built in a day, nor was it copied from any other country. It is a unique set of guidelines prepared after three years of debate and discussion,” Mr. Satheesan said. He criticised recent arguments that said the Constitution lacked ‘Indianness,’ and added that the people who made the allegation had no idea about the inclusive nature of Indian society.
“The national movement in India was a continuation of the 5,000-year-old history of our country, which is known for its inclusiveness. Our leaders had made it a point to include people from all walks of life in it, and hence the Constituent Assembly made the Constitution inclusive as well,” he said.
Basic rights
Chairman of the forum P.V. Mohanlal, in his presidential address, said that the ideas posed by the Constitution is yet to be imbibed by the common people. “Our Constitution has provisions for amendment. But those that challenge the basic rights cannot be accepted,” he said.
Congress leader P.V. Gangadharan delivered the keynote address in the debate while District Congress Comittee (DCC) President K. Praveen Kumar, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) General Secretary P.M. Niyas, and Government Pleader K. Jayakumar were speakers. Human rights activist Manjeri Sundar Raj was the moderator.
