Introduction
The supreme law of the country in a democratic system is the constitution. The word constitution has a French origin which is usually used to refer to law and order. Constitution of India starts with a preamble with the phrases “we the people” and talks about the values of the constitution which are equality, liberty, secularism and fraternity. Indian Constitution is one of the longest constitutions in the world. Our Indian Constitution consists of 465 articles, 12 schedules, 22 amendments and 146385 words in it.
Framing of the Indian Constitution
Indian Constitution is an amalgamation of the Constitution of France, Britain, USA, Germany, and the former USSR. Some of the best features of the best constitutions in the world were taken and adjusted in the Indian Constitution as a result of which Indian Constitution in today’s world is considered one of the most detailed and comprehensive constitutions to exist. The reason why Indian Constitution is so lengthy is because of the kind of diversity and unique problems that exist only in India. The constitution of India addresses each and every issue that can possibly be imagined in a country like India which has many religions, ethnicities, cultures and languages.
Dr BR Ambedkar is known as the father of Indian constitution and he was the main person behind the framing of the Indian Constitution. He was the head of the drafting committee and he travelled across the world for many democratic countries to get inspiration to draft the Indian Constitution. It is also said that Dr BR Ambedkar wanted to burn the constitution of India. With regard to the powers of the governor, Ambedkar had heated debate with the members of the drafting committee and was hell-bent on preventing any harm or injury to the minorities of the country.
The Indian Constitution was originally written in Hindi and English. The constituent assembly and the members of the same signed two copies of the Constitution, one in the language of Hindi and the other in English. At that point in time when the Constitution was drafted, the Indian Constitution was only handwritten. It was neither printed nor typed and hence it is the only longest handwritten constitution on earth.
The values that the constitution represents is the values that India celebrates every day. The fundamental rights that the constitution of India guarantees its citizens to keep them safe from the bad elements in the section of the population are important. The values of liberty, equality, fraternity and secularism are some of the values that are celebrated all over the world and the Indian Union stands as a testimony for these values. It is because of the robustness and strength of our constitution that India is has become the second-largest democracy in the world. The Preamble of the Constitution of India declared the country as a power in a socialist, secular and democratic republic and the welfare of the state is committed to attaining justice, liberty and equality for all the people without any discrimination based on religion, caste, creed, sex or place of birth.
Conclusion
The essence of the Constitution is what makes India one of the strongest nations in the world. Without such a robust constitution, India would slip into a fascist and an authoritarian regime. Every government, irrespective of the political ideologies and bend of mind, should obey the constitution of India and follow the law of the land for the healthy democratic republic of India.