Mr. Singh’s rather provocative speech was followed by an equally combative one by Congress president Sonia Gandhi who took on the government on what she called the “rising cases of intolerance” in the country. Naidu confirmed the development, saying that Modi wants to discuss the bills pending in Parliament.
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It will be really interesting to see that how this winter session will proceed into the coming days and how the opposition will attack the central government on various issues.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, while talking about “intolerance” issue, said every such incident should be condemned and that it should be looked at as to why dignified artistes, including Aamir Khan, are feeling uneasy in their own country. The BJP government has chose to observe November 26 as Constitution Day to spread awareness about the constitution and its architect B R Ambedkar.
Constitution Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.
“He (Ambedkar) never said how much he is being insulted in India”.
She said Nehru presented the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly in 1946 which was unanimously adopted.
And the spirit of the parliamentary discussion was about “us” and not about “you” or “me”. “Splitting hair on the word secularism is mere wordplay”, said Shashi Tharoor of the Congress outside Parliament. He himself had sat through the debate, yesterday and today.
“Fundamental rights were snatched during the Emergency”, he said, and pointed out that “you imposed Emergency, detained opposition leaders, censored newspapers”. He spoke of how Ambedkar, despite a life full of deprivation and humiliation, did not become an embittered man, did not seek “vengeance” when he was given the opportunity to write the Constitution.
The interest that was displayed in this debate was exemplary. We were expecting that during the debate on the Constitution he would announce social and economic plans. I have said this from the Red Fort.. This country has grown and developed due to contribution of everyone.
“The atmosphere in the country in the last one-and-a-half years is against the constitution of India”.
His “master class” on Indian traditions and values, on the greatness of Ambedkar and an assortment of Hindu reformers, his exposition on the idea of India through aphorisms taken from Hindu texts were “timeless” in a sense – he could have been addressing an audience in the 1960s or the 2170s. That is the reason it (Constitution) needs to reach the roots.
From political establishment to those in opposition, everyone quotes Babasaheb Ambedkar. Singh sought to suggest that Ambedkar would have never even considered such a thing.
Noting that India has 12 religions, 122 languages and 1600 dialects and includes people who find themselves believers in God in addition to athiests, he stated, “all ought to get justice”. But in the past we have shown the ability to self control, and have brought limitations upon ourselves. He consumed the entire “zehar” (poison) and left us with such “amrit” (elixir)… “In a democracy, the consensus is what gives the greatest strength”.
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We must not forget that in a democracy, we work towards welfare of the individual as well as the collective.
