Contributions Of Women In Constituent Assembly Are Rarely Discussed; Youth Should Be Made Aware Of Them : PM Modi On Constitution Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the contributions made by women in the Constituent assembly are rarely discussed and hence, it is important to make the youth of the country aware about them. Speaking at the Constitution Day event organized at the Supreme Court, the Prime Minister made a specific reference to Dakshayani Velayudhan, a Dalit woman who was a member of the Constituent Assembly.

"Our constituent assembly had 15 female members and among them was Dakshayani Velayudhan who belonged to a backward society. She had made important interventions on many issues related to the Dalits and people belonging to the lower strata. People like, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Mehta, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and many other female members had made important contributions on the issues related to the women. Their contributions are rarely discussed. When our youth would understand their contributions, they would get answers to their questions. It would also raise a spirit allegiance in them which would strengthen the democracy, the constitution and the future of this country", PM Modi said.

"The words "WE THE PEOPLE" written in the Preamble of our Constitution are not ordinary words, it is an evocation, a pledge, a belief, it is the emotion which has been the mother of democracy", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the gathering of legal dignitaries, Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who dreamt of a modern India, the members of the Constituent Assembly and the many people from the legislature, executive and judiciary who over the span of 7 decades have made a contribution to the development and expansion of the Constitution of India. He also paid tribute to the people who had lost their lives in the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks.

Prime Minister Modi said that, "Today, the eyes of the entire world are on India and they are looking at us with a lot of hope amidst our rapid development, fast growing economy and our increasing international presence. A country about which it was being said that it would not be able to maintain its independence, it would collapse, today that country is moving forward with all its strength while being proud of its diversity and the biggest strength behind all this is our Constitution."

Prime Minister Modi today launched the e-initiatives of the Supreme Court and lauded the efforts and steps being taken towards ease of Justice. He said, "In the modern world, the Constitution of India has imbibed the nation's cultural and moral sensibilities. I am gratified that the country is regularly strengthening the ancient ideals and the spirit of the Constitution. The country and its people are being strengthened with the help of pro-people policies; the laws are being simplified for them. The judiciary is taking significant steps for timely dispensation of justice. Today I got the opportunity to launch the e-initiatives of the Supreme Court, I congratulate all of you for this new initiative and all the steps you have taken for the ease of justice."

Prime Minister Modi urged everyone to understand their responsibilities and fulfil their duties towards the nation. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi he said, "Mahatma Gandhi said that our rights are those responsibilities which we fulfil with true integrity and dedication. Today, in our Amritkaal when we are beginning our journey for the next 25 years this mantra is becoming a pledge. This Amritkaal is Kartavyakaal for the country. It is our responsibilities which are our priorities today. Only while fulfilling our duties can we take our country to newer heights of development. Today new opportunities are rising in front of the country, India is conquering new challenges and moving ahead. All of us as representatives of Team India should help forward the reputation of the country, taking the contributions of India to the world stage is also our collective responsibility. The identity of India as the mother of democracy has to be strengthened by us."

Prime Minister also talked about the necessity of inculcating the Spirit of the Constitution in the youth of the country. "The framers of the Constitution have given us a constitution which is open, futuristic and is known for its modern vision which is why the spirit of the constitution is youth centric. Today, be it Sports or startups, be it Information Technology or Digital Payments, in each and every dimension of India's development the youth is flying its flag high. The responsibility of the Constitution and institutions lies on the shoulders of the youth. That is why I would request the Judiciary and the Government to conduct debates on our constitution so that the youth could have a better understanding of the Constitution. What were the circumstances before the country when the Constitution was framed? What happened in those Constitutional Debates? Our youth should have knowledge of these issues to boost their interest in the Constitution. This would also instill in them the vision to understand topics such as equality and empowerment. For example, our constituent assembly had 15 female members and among them was Dakshayani Velayudhan who belonged to a backward society. She had made important interventions on many issues related to the Dalits and people belonging to the lower strata. People like, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Mehta, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and many other female members had made important contributions on the issues related to the women. Their contributions are rarely discussed. When our youth would understand their contributions, they would get answers to their questions. It would also raise a spirit allegiance in them which would strengthen the democracy, the constitution and the future of this country."