Constitution essential in building New India, teaches discipline, unity in diversity: Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Asserting that the Constitution is essential in building 'New India', Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that it teaches discipline and unity in diversity.

"Constitution teaches discipline and unity in diversity. Liberty, equality, social harmony and goodwill are its foundation. Preamble's first word, 'We', says a lot in itself. We've to understand it and make others understand too. It is essential in building 'New India," the Defence Minister said while addressing the inauguration of 'Constitution Day Youth Club Activities' organised by National Cadet Corps (NCC) in partnership with youth organisations to make youth aware of the basic tenets of Indian Constitution.

"I wish, we, the people of New India to get together, move forward in the upliftment of society and nation, and achieve success," he added.

Indian Constitution is one of the factors for which our democracy is known worldwide, the Minister said.

"Our Constitution is for the people of India, by the people of India and for the people of India. Our Constitution teaches us to 'become one and be righteous'," he said.

The Minister said that a week later, the country is going to celebrate the sixth Constitution Day.

"In 2014, apart from the opportunity to serve the country, one of the major efforts made by the government was to celebrate Constitution Day. The beginning of this day expresses our faith and allegiance to the Constitution. Our Honorable Prime Minister, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, started celebrating Constitution Day. In 2015, on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar ji, he gave it a form of a national festival on 26 November, for which we have gathered here today," he said.

The Constitution Day is celebrated on November 26 to mark the adopting of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949. It came into force on 26th January 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of the Indian Republic.

The Constitution day was first celebrated in 2015 as a mark of tribute to India's first Law Minister Bhim Rao Ambedkar, who played a pivotal role in the drafting of the document.

The Constitution of India, one of the longest written Constitutions of the world, constitutes of a Preamble, 22 parts with 395 articles and 8 schedules.