"Should work towards Viksit Bharat like our Constitution makers": VP Radhakrishnan

New Delhi [India], November 26 : Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Wednesday hailed the Constitution-makers on Constitution Day and asked Members of Parliament to work towards a "Viksit Bharat".
On November 26, 1949, the Indian Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Constitution, which came into effect on January 26, 1950. Constitution Day is marked by the Central government's celebration of the principles of democracy, justice, and equality.
Addressing the gathering of Parliamentarians event at Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi, VP Radhakrishnan said, "The Members of the Constituent Assembly debated and discussed over a period of two years, eleven months with one common goal - to create a landmark Constitution for our Mother Land. In the same spirit of our Constitution Makers, we should now work towards the goal of Viksit Bharat during this Amrit Kaal."
He added that each page of the Constitution reflects the "soul of the nation" and the Constituent Assembly's contributions made India the largest democracy in the world.
The Vice President said, "On this great day in 1949, our holy Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of Independent Bharat. Since 2015, we have started observing November 26 every year as the Constitution Day -Samvidhan Diwas. It has now become a celebration of every citizen of our Motherland. The extraordinary leaders, Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Ji, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ji, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar ji, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer ji, Durga Bai Deshmukh Ji and other great leaders made this Constitution in such a way that in its every page, we see the soul of our Nation."
"Our Constitution was drafted, debated, and adopted by some of the finest leaders of Mother Bharat in the Constituent Assembly. It embodies the collective wisdom, sacrifice, and dreams of millions of our countrymen who fought for freedom. The great scholars of the drafting committee and members of the Constituent Assembly gave insightful thoughts to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of crores & crores of Indians. Their selfless contributions make Bharat as the largest democracy of the world," he added.
Invoking social reformist, Padma Bhushan Hansa Mehta, the Vice President hailed the women members of the Constituent Assembly.
He said, "On behalf of all of us, I pay our tributes to the contributions made by the women members of the Constituent Assembly. I quote the golden words of Hansa Mehta ji, 'What we have asked for is social justice, economic justice, and political justice'. The Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam enacted in 2023 is a befitting tribute to the contribution of the women members of the Constituent Assembly and the women of our Motherland. This Act will give equal opportunity to our Mothers and Sisters to come forward and contribute in nation building to become the most powerful country."
Recalling his interaction with the tribal communities as Governor of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Telangana, he lauded the idea of "inclusive spirit" of the Constitution.
VP Radhakrishnan said, "As a Governor of the States of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Telangana, I had the privilege of interacting with the tribal communities. No one can forget the significant role and sacrifice of the tribal communities and their leaders in the freedom movement as also in the Constituent Assembly. It is a matter of pride that since 2021, we have started to commemorate the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to remember and recognise the sacrifice and struggles of the tribal leaders and community in the freedom movement. Our Constitution reflects our strong commitment towards social justice and economic empowerment of the members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and the other weaker sections of the society. We all are proud of our Constitution; it carries the inclusive spirit. The ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity in the Preamble ensure that every citizen-- regardless of caste, creed, gender, language, region or religion-- has a rightful place on the soil of Bharat. In a globally changing economic and geo-political scenario we all require reforms in many spheres of life."
Lauding a Constitutional approach, he said that 25 crore poor people have been liberated from poverty in the last 10 years and India is heading to become the third largest economy in the world.
"Our Constitution was born out of intellect, and lived experiences, sacrifices, hopes and aspirations. The soul of our Constitution has proved that Bharat is one and will be one forever. By adopting pragmatic and saturation approach, we have been able to perform well on many development indicators. From nowhere, we are now the fourth largest economy of the world and very soon we will become the 3rd largest economy. That is why the world is now looking at us. 25 crore poor people have been liberated from poverty in the last 10 years. This is a historical achievement. With the help of digital technologies, 100 crores people have been covered under various social security schemes. We have made impossible as possible," he said.
"This year, we commemorated the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patelji, Bhagwan Birsa Mundaji, and also of our patriotic national song Vande Mataram. The pain and the sacrifice of our freedom fighters inspired us and will continue to inspire generations to come. This fosters the spirit of patriotism, pride, and loyalty in the young minds of India. Democracy is not a new concept to Bharat," he added.
Referring to the history of the Chola dynasty, VP Radhakrishnan lauded India's democratic values. He noted that Jammu and Kashmir, after abrogation of Article 370 and Bihar during the recent Assembly elections recorded huge voter turnouts, and termed it as a "healthy sign" for democracy.
The Vice President said, "History reveals that democracy has been existing in places like Vaishali in the north and Chola rulers adopted 'kudavolai' system in the south. So, we call Bharat as the Mother of the Democracy. No democracy can survive without the conscious contribution of the Citizen. In our Mother Bharat, every citizen, whether they are rich or poor, always contributes to strengthen the democracy. During the elections held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 after abrogation of Article 370, the voter turnout in large number shows their faith in democracy. In the recently held Bihar elections, voter turnout, particularly that of women in large numbers, is a very healthy sign."
The Constitution Day program was organised at the Samvidhan Sadan of the Parliament on the occasion of the 75th Constitution Day. President Droupadi Murmu released the translated version of the Constitution in nine languages, including Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia and Assamese.