Maharashtra: After schools, rural bodies asked to read Preamble

Rural local bodies have been asked to hold collective reading of the Preamble before flag-hoisting ceremonies, starting January 26.

A DAY after it made it mandatory for school students across Maharashtra to read the Preamble to the Constitution during the morning assembly, the state government on Wednesday directed rural local bodies to hold collective reading of the Preamble before flag-hoisting ceremonies, starting January 26.

The rural development department, in a government resolution (GR) — almost identically-worded as that was issued by the school education department on Tuesday — stated, “In order to ensure that all citizens understand the scope of the principles of the Constitution, inclusion and the principles of justice, freedom, equality and brotherhood and these values are inculcated in the conscience of the society, it is important that citizens are fully familiar with the Constitution.”

It added that the values enshrined in the Constitution are those imparting knowledge to citizens and instilling these in the minds of citizens will help in making them responsible, informed and cultured.

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The GR will be applicable to all rural bodies, including zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats. The collective reading of the Preamble will be held on days when flag-hoisting ceremonies are held, including the Republic Day, Independence Day and Maharashtra Day.

This is the second GR mandating collective reading of the Preamble issued by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. The move comes at a time when protests have erupted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizenship across the state.