– “Constitution Hatya Diwas” will be the counter to “Constitution Bachao”
– Constitution should be taught in schools – Dr. Pravin Dabli
Even after 75 years of Independence, the ruling party and the opposition are fighting elections on the issue of saving the Constitution and killing it. Congress and other parties also benefitted from this. After the success in the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition started feeling that the upcoming elections should be fought by riding on the boat of “Constitution Bachao”. This is the reason why the opposition is trying to show by waving the copy of the Constitution everywhere that BJP will change the Constitution, if not today then tomorrow!
The ruling party is also trying its best to counter this counter of the opposition. Because it has also understood in its assessment that “Constitution Bachao” has caused them a lot of damage.
If the actual situation is assessed, it comes to light that during the Congress rule, the Constitution was amended about 100 times, that too by sidelining the opposition… while in the Modi government, about 8 amendments were made in which the Congress and other parties also gave their consent. Prominent among them are amendments like the Women’s Reservation Bill, Triple Talaq, Reservation on Economic Basis.
Now the question is that with the help of BJP’s slogan of crossing four hundred and some leaders’ comments that majority is needed to change the Constitution, the opposition created a collage of anti-government narrative. It also benefited from it. Therefore, the opposition wants this narrative to remain alive and the BJP to remain under the scanner. Doubts should also remain in the minds of voters. That is, the boat of saving the Constitution should not sink.
Be it the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi or Akhilesh Yadav or their other colleagues, they are still stuck on this narrative. Assembly elections are soon to be held in Maharashtra and Haryana. Shortly after that, elections will also be held in Jharkhand. Therefore, the opposition wants to keep capitalizing on this environment.
On the other hand, the ruling party is looking for a solution to “saving the Constitution”. It passed a resolution in Parliament on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency to show the mirror to Congress. Seeing Congress getting uncomfortable in Parliament, the government announced to celebrate “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” on 25 June. They feel that this will reduce the confusion among the people to some extent.
The question arises whether BJP is really anti-Constitution? If it is anti-Constitution, then why did the opposition support the Constitution Amendment proposals brought by it?
The Modi government amended the Constitution in the beginning to form the National Judicial Appointments Commission, but later the Supreme Court rejected it. Constitution amendment was also done to implement GST. The third Constitution Amendment proposal of the Modi government was related to giving constitutional status to the ‘Backward Classes Commission’. The fourth law giving reservation on economic basis also comes under the purview of Constitution Amendment. The Constitution Amendment giving 33 percent reservation to women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and increasing the time limit of SC-ST reservation also got parliamentary approval. Similarly, the right given to the states to add castes in the list of Other Backward Classes Commission was also a Constitution Amendment. The Modi government also presented a constitutional amendment regarding the change in the powers of the Finance Commission.
Except for the controversial 42nd Constitutional Amendment, on most occasions the opposition and the ruling party have together amended the constitution. The issue of constitutional amendment is also very complicated. It is not easy for any ruling political party to change the constitution without taking the opposition along.
Looking at the matter, the government has also started responding to the opposition in an aggressive manner in the context of this narrative.
The central government issued a notification to celebrate June 25 as Constitution Hatya Diwas and made it clear that it will leave no stone unturned to counter the propaganda being done by the opposition parties and especially the Congress that the BJP intends to change the constitution.
The thing to think about is that the issue of saving the constitution has made other issues of the country insignificant. Other sensitive issues like inflation, unemployment, corruption seem to have vanished in the elections. Anyway, issues like Ram Mandir, Triple Talaq, Article 370 have already vanished. Now the only thing left is “defending the Constitution”.
Now the thing to understand is who is threatening the Constitution. For 75 years this country is running on the basis of the Constitution. The then government is taking the role of bringing about changes on the proposals given in the Constitution. Then who is threatening the Constitution?
From those leaders who are changing parties every year…or from those who are returning to the first party after staying in another party for a few days. Which leaders should the country and the public trust? Shiv Sena which once praised BJP is now calling it a traitor and an accused of changing the Constitution. Or the Nationalist Party on which the Prime Minister accuses of corruption and the next day joins the Mahayuti in his support…or Nitish Babu’s party is sometimes with Laluji and sometimes with BJP. On the other hand, everyone knows the condition of Mamta Didi. Everyone is also aware of the political role of SP. In such a situation, who is responsible for the condition of Congress, Congress itself?
Whatever it may be, the politics of the country still seems to be riding on the boat of saving the Constitution. The public does not know what is written in the Constitution…they believe what is told by the leaders. In such a situation, the facts written in the Constitution should be taught in all schools under the new education policy by the government so that our young generation can understand the Constitution and can preserve democracy without getting trapped in any false narrative!
– Dr. Pravin Dabli
(Senior Journalist, Political Analyst)
