Why was Constitution Day not celebrated before 2015? Reason choosing 26 November day
On 19 November 2015, government formally notified 26 November as Constitution Day. Earlier, this day was celebrated as National Law Day.
05:51 PM Nov 26, 2024 IST
|
Alka Singh
Though after independence, on 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India, and it had come into force on 26 January 1950. After this, from the year 2015, November 26 is celebrated as the Constitution Day of India.
Today, on the occasion of Constitution Day, President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many big leaders wished on this day.
Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950
On 19 November 2015, the government formally notified 26 November as Constitution Day. Earlier, this day was celebrated as National Law Day as Ambedkar was also the first Law Minister of India. Let us know about the history and politics related to this day.
Why 26 November celebrated as Constitution Day?
While in May 2015, Union Cabinet had announced that 26 November would be celebrated as Constitution Day of India to promote constitutional values among the people of the country. Even though that year also marked as the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, he was rhe chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. With KM Munshi, Muhammad Saadullah and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer were also among the drafting committee members.
Ambedkar's legacy to reach out to the Dalit community
However, the central government's decision was also seen as a move to claim BR Ambedkar's legacy to reach out to the Dalit community. After a cabinet meeting in 2015, then Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said, "Rahul Gandhi and his party never gave respect to Ambedkar.
Congress never gave respect to BR Ambedkar
Neither did he get the Bharat Ratna nor was his picture put up in the Parliament complex till the Congress was in power." At that time, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment decided to undertake a number of activities to promote Ambedkar's ideas and philosophy, including the establishment of the Ambedkar International Centre at 15, Janpath.
Indian Constitution adopted process
While the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Constitution of India, held its first session on December 9, 1946, attended by 207 members. Initially, the Assembly had 389 members, but the number was reduced to 299 after independence and the partition of the country.
Although Assembly taken more than three years to draft the Constitution, with more than 114 days spent on considering the contents of the draft alone. However different sources were consulted in the drafting process, which also includes constitutions of other countries, and even though suitable amendments were also adapt.
More than three years to draft the Constitution
The second main source of the Indian Constitution was the Government of India Act of 1935. At that time, it was one of the longest laws passed in the British Parliament. On 13 December 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the “Objective Resolution” which was later adopted as the Preamble on 22 January 1947 to encapsulate the basic philosophy of the Constitution.
The Drafting Committee headed by Ambedkar was one of the more than 17 committees of the Constituent Assembly. Their job was to draft a Constitution for India. The committee debated and deliberated on the Constitution and struck down about 2,400 of the nearly 7,600 amendments that were moved.
Drafting Committee headed by Ambedkar
However, the last session of the Constituent Assembly ended on November 26, 1949, when the Constitution was adopted and also it came into force 2 months later on January 26, 1950, after 284 members signed on it.
Date of January 26 was chosen because on this day in 1930 the Congress had declared the resolution of Poorna Swaraj.
Next Article