New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday asserted that the Constitution is the cornerstone of the nation’s identity as also the guiding document to shun colonial mindset and adopt nationalistic thinking.
Addressing the Constitution Day event at the Central Hall of the Old Parliament building, now called ‘Samvidhan Sadan’, Murmu said India is presenting a new model of development for the world and has taken several significant steps to fulfil the aspirations of the people.
“Our Constitution is a document of national pride. It is a document of the identity of the nation. It is a document to shun the colonial mindset and adopt the nationalistic view and take the country forward,” she said.
With this vision, the president said, the country has adopted the new criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The three new laws replaced the colonial era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively. The new laws came into effect from July 1, 2024.
Murmu said the country’s Constitution-makers wanted the personal, democratic rights to be always protected.
Referring to the abrogation of the Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, she said by ending the provision, the nation has been freed from a political obstacle.
“In last one decade, our Parliament has taken several significant steps to fulfil the aspirations of the people,” she said.
The president also referred to the banning of the triple talaq, introduction of the GST regime as two most significant moves for women and financial empowerment respectively.
“Our country is marching ahead speedily to become the third largest economy in the world,” she said.
Murmu said 25 crore people have come out of poverty, which is one of the biggest achievements of the country, while women, youth, SC, ST, farmers, middle class, new middle class are strengthening the democratic system.
The president also released the digital version of the Constitution in nine languages- Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Bodo, Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia and Assamese.
The programme included the reading of the Preamble led by the president.
Besides Murmu, those seated at the dais included Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Opposition leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers J P Nadda and Kiren Rijiju and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh.
Several union ministers and members from both houses of Parliament attended the event.
A commemorative booklet on calligraphy in the original Constitution was also released.
