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Journalism of Courage
After Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s comments on the separation of powers between the Executive and the Judiciary, adding, “the ultimate power is with the Legislature”, Congress leader P Chidambaram responded on Thursday, saying,” The Hon’ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is wrong when he says that Parliament is supreme. It is the Constitution that is supreme.”
Over the years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also underlined the supremacy of the Constitution, often referring to it as a “holy book”.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on November 27, 2015, on the occasion of a special two-day sitting to commemorate Constitution Day and the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, Modi said, “The government has only one book that it should follow – the Constitution.”
The Lok Sabha session was held in the aftermath of an acrimonious electoral contest in Bihar and the PM used the occasion to reach out across the aisle to the Opposition, saying that forging a consensus was more important in a democracy than majority rule on the strength of numbers.
Adopting a conciliatory approach towards the Opposition, Modi said that “India first” was the only religion and the Constitution the “only holy book” for his government. “The country will be run by the Constitution and it should be run by the Constitution. India has grown fundamentally on this ideology. The country has internal energy amassed over thousands of years which gives it the stimulus and capacity to deal with crises.”
He added, “The sanctity of the Constitution is our responsibility… Democracy is strengthened when there is a consensus, which should come through a bipartisan approach. The numbers game is the last option. In this House, we are not going to force any decision but make efforts for consensus…If nothing helps, then the ultimate is majority-minority.”
Modi attempted to dispel fears that the Constitution would be tinkered with, saying that any such attempt would be akin to “suicide”. He said, “We have the Constitution … Nor can someone think of altering the Constitution. And I think if someone thinks it, it is suicide. Because, those great men … what they thought, no one can do the same in the current situation. Our good is in ensuring that we use it the best way possible for the welfare of the poor, Dalits, downtrodden … Implementing (the Constitution) in its true spirit is our responsibility.”
The following year, in an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, the PM defended India’s human rights record and reiterated that for the government the Constitution was the “real holy book” that provides freedom of faith and speech to all citizens regardless of their background.
“For my government, the Constitution is its real holy book. And, in that holy book, freedom of faith, speech and franchise, and equality of all citizens, regardless of background, are enshrined as fundamental rights,” the PM said in his 45-minute speech that was also attended by then US Vice President Joe Biden.
In his address to the joint session of Parliament in 2019 on the occasion of 70th Constitution Day, Modi, paying tribute to Ambedkar, said, “So on this occasion today I would like to commemorate and pay my respects to all the members of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature who have preserved the spirit of the Constitution intact in the last seven decades. I especially bow down to 130 crore Indians who never let the faith in India’s democracy diminish. Our Constitution has always been considered as a holy book and a guiding light.”
He went on to add, “We have brought several reforms within the ambit of the Constitution. And the conclusion is that the Constitution is the one and only way for the progress of this huge and diverse India, for the new future, for the New India. This is the only way the spirit of the Constitution is intact. Our Constitution is the greatest and the most sacred text for us. It is such a book that encompasses our life, our society, our traditions, our beliefs, our behaviour and our ethos! There are solutions to many challenges as well. Our Constitution is so broad because it has kept its windows open for outside light. And moreover, the light inside has also been given an opportunity to ignite more brightly.”
At a Constitution Day event last year, the PM reiterated that the success of Indian democracy was down to the Constitution. He said that defying all initial apprehensions about its stability, India was moving ahead with full force and taking pride in its diversity. This was down to the Constitution, he said.
Modi referred to the first three words of the Preamble, “We the People”, and said it “is a call, trust, and an oath”. “This spirit of the Constitution is the spirit of India that has been the mother of democracy in the world,” he added.
