{"id":282471,"date":"2023-01-25T19:15:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T13:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=282471"},"modified":"2023-01-30T17:08:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T11:38:09","slug":"one-part-to-guide-them-all-preamble-the-constitutions-adi-vakya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2023\/01\/25\/one-part-to-guide-them-all-preamble-the-constitutions-adi-vakya\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOne Part to Guide Them All\u201d: Preamble- The Constitution’s \u2018Adi- Vakya’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

India is celebrating its Republic Day today, commemorating 74 years of the Constitution of India coming into effect. It hardly needs to be reiterated that our nation hard earned its freedom through a lengthy and painful struggle. However, once that independence was achieved, there were numerous herculean tasks awaiting the leaders of the freedom struggle. 200 years of brutal colonial rule and a hellish life under the British regime had impressed upon the leaders the necessity of being governed by its own citizens and heal the wounds of discord and division sown by the Empire. They realised the need to lay down a framework which will act as a beacon for the Government and the citizens; a document which will lay down the rights and responsibilities of the State and the people alike. Thus, the Constitution of India, came into being.<\/p>\n

After a series of debates and discussions aka the Constituent Assembly Debates, the framers of the Constitution structured the Constitution and made it flexible to address the ever- changing needs of the Indian society and governance. The ideas, visions and aspirations of the Constituent Assembly members, who were also an integral part of the freedom struggle and culminated into a very important part of the Constitution- The Preamble.<\/span><\/p>\n

Genesis of the Preamble<\/p>\n

A Preamble technically means an introductory part of a Constitution or statute, explain the objectives of the said law1<\/sup><\/a>. The Preamble to the Constitution of India reads thusly:<\/p>\n

We, the people of India<\/span>,<\/span> having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a [sovereign socialist secular democratic republic<\/span>]<\/span> and to secure to all its citizens:<\/p>\n

Justice<\/span>\u00a0social, economic and political;<\/p>\n

Liberty<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;<\/p>\n

Equality<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of status and of opportunity;<\/p>\n

and to promote among them all<\/p>\n

Fraternity<\/span>\u00a0assuring the dignity of the individual and the\u00a0[unity and integrity of the Nation];<\/p>\n

In our Constituent Assembly<\/span>\u00a0this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do\u00a0hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution<\/span>.<\/p>\n

It is clear from the solemn words above as to what was the aim of the supreme law of the land \u2014 that is our Constitution; and like law itself, the Preamble is also ripe with history. These precise words of the Preamble were result of many a deliberation by the members of the Constituent Assembly, who discussed and debated as to the words that should best describe the objective of the Constitution they are about to draft.<\/p>\n

The foundations of the Preamble’s genesis were laid on 13-12-1946 in the Constitution Hall, New Delhi, wherein under the Chairmanship of Dr Rajendra Prasad, an Objective Resolution regarding \u201cAims and Objects\u201d<\/a> was moved by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru2<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been cutting our way and clearing the ground on which we intend to erect the edifice of a Constitution. It, however, seems proper that before we proceed further, we should clearly understand where we are going and what we intend building. It is apparent that on such occasions details are unnecessary (\u2026) The Resolution that I am placing before you defines our aims, describes an outline of the plan and points the way which we are going to tread.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Pandit Nehru’s words lay the very first form of the Preamble as it stands today:<\/p>\n