Mumbai, Oct 16 In spite of external and internal challenges, the Constitution drafted by Dr B R Ambedkar kept the country united over the last seven decades, former Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said here on Friday.
The Constitution is built on the pillars of liberty, equality and fraternity, he said, but also cautioned that “while every individual has the right to freedom, it must not infringe upon the freedom of others”.
Gavai was speaking at the launch of Marathi books “Smart Nagarik” and “Vidyarthi Prerana”, aimed at instilling awareness about constitutional values, fundamental duties and democracy among students of the schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) here.
Speaking about the resilience of Indian democracy, the former CJI said that the Constitution was framed in 1950, and several changes and developments took place in the country in the subsequent 76 years.
“There were external attacks….there were internal challenges like insurgency, militancy….against this backdrop, there is something that we should be proud of — our country did not just remain united but moved towards development,” Gavai said.
“We have seen the situation in countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan….We saw what happened in Sri Lanka. Against this backdrop, the credit for keeping the citizens of our country united goes to our Constitution,” he added.
The credit also goes to Ambedkar and his colleagues (who drafted the Constitution), the former CJI said.
Invoking warrior king Shivaji Maharaj as an inspiration for upholding the principle of equality, he said, “Equal treatment is important, whether a person is from a slum or whether he is a rich man. A billionaire’s son can go to London for education, but a poor man’s son cannot.”
Hence, the Mumbai civic body’s scheme under which 50 bright students are sent to Singapore for a special course was a good initiative, he said.
“We used to have civics as a mere subject. However, conceptualizing how to actively mould students into sensitive citizens is a highly commendable idea that should be emulated,” Gavai said, appreciating the launch of the two books for BMC school students.
(PTI News)
