The Lok Sabha’s special discussion on 75 years of the Constitution, proposed by the Opposition and agreed to by the ruling front, was expected to be an occasion for a quiet reflection and assessment of the functioning of the ideas contained in the document, a balanced attempt to identify its shortcomings and the formation of a general consensus on the way forward. Instead, it was seen as an opportunity by both the sides to engage in a competition of vilifying each other.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot be faulted for reminding the House and the people of the country of the horrors of Emergency; it’s the legitimate right of the leader of a party whose earlier avatar had fought the worst government move against democracy to recall those experiences and the impact it had on the nation’s polity. He was only stating the obvious when he said that the Constitution was torn apart as it was completing 25 years with the declaration of Emergency. It is also true that “all constitutional rights were snatched and the country turned into a jail. All the rights of the citizens were snatched and there was a clampdown on media”.
However, the Prime Minister who showed no mercy to the Congress for its failures and wrongdoings did not have the grace to acknowledge all the good that his adversary is responsible for. A mention of how the 139-year-old party steered the rocking boat of democracy by developing its institutions and staying the course despite several other nations having dropped by the wayside some of the seminal ideas their constitutions contained, including democracy and secularism, would have made his criticism all the more credible. The people in those countries have paid a heavy price for the waywardness of their leaders but Indians still have the nerve and wherewithal to fight back; and there are institutions and processes that make sure that their struggles are successful.
One of the charges Mr Modi and the government that he leads face is the undermining of those very same institutions. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi put it succinctly when he said that the articles of the Constitution have enabling provisions for growth and development but “the BJP-led government follows the disturbing trends of the Manusmriti to undermine them”. But Mr Gandhi, too, was remiss in not owning up to the most brazen attack on the Constitution authored by his party. It was an opportune moment for the Congress to show its regret and he failed to seize it, thereby surrendering the moral high ground.
No one has a doubt that the Constitution is a sacred book and everyone has to follow it in letter and spirit. But when it comes to the interpretation of the spirit, they have failed the Constitution and the people to such a great extent that the assurances summarised in the Preamble are yet to materialise. It may be wishful thinking but those who were authorised by the people to get the job done must stop paying lip service to their duties. Is an honest introspection too much to ask for?
