Varanasi, 02 Sept (HS): The Indian Constitution is not

merely a book written by a few scholars, but a living document of the

aspirations, struggles, and dreams of the people of India. The public actively

participated in the Constitution-making process, and suggestions, letters,

memorandums, and public movements from across the country gave it a more

inclusive form.

This was said by Dr. Arvind Kumar, lecturer at the

University of Hertfordshire, UK and Post-Doctoral Fellow and Associate Fellow

at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. On Wednesday, a

special lecture on 'Understanding Public Participation in the Making of the

Indian Constitution' was organized by the Department of Political Science of

Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth in the smart class of the Faculty of Social

Sciences. In the program, the keynote speaker Dr. Arvind Kumar, while throwing

light on the historical background of the making of the Constitution, said that

limiting the Constitution only to the debates of the Constituent Assembly would

be ignoring its wider public concerns.

He said that during the nearly two-year, 11-month, and

18-day deliberation process of the Constituent Assembly, thousands of

memorandums, letters, and suggestions submitted by ordinary citizens influenced

the formulation of the Constitution. Public expectations and demands from

various social groups played a crucial role, particularly in shaping the

formulation of the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. He said that

the creation of the Constitution was not merely a process of transfer of power,

but an effort to build an India in which every citizen enjoys the rights to

liberty, equality, justice, and dignity. Dr. Kumar appealed to the youth that

merely reading the Constitution or memorizing it for exams is not enough. True

commitment to the Constitution lies in assimilating constitutional values

such as liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice into one's behavior and

life.

He said that to strengthen democracy, the youth must

understand their duties and democratic responsibilities along with their

constitutional rights. During the program, various historical aspects related

to the making of the Constitution were discussed. In the question-answer

session held after the lecture, students and researchers asked questions on

contemporary issues related to the Constitution. Dr. Arvind Kumar addressed the

students' queries in detail. The program received the patronage and guidance of

the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Anand Kumar Tyagi. The coordinator

of the program was Prof. Mohammad Arif, Head of the Department of Political

Science.

On this occasion, Associate Professors of the department Dr.

Resham Lal, Dr. Vijay Kumar, Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Dr. Jyoti Tripathi, Dr. C.K.

Mani Pandey, Dr. Gyan Prakash Pandey, Dr. Vijay Kumar Singh along with

teachers, researchers and students were present.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi