Following the order by Karnataka Governor’s Secretariat and the State government, all universities and higher educational institutions in Karnataka are preparing to celebrate ‘Samvidhan Diwas’ (Constitution Day) on the theme “Bharat: Loktantra ki Janani” (India: The Mother of Democracy) on Saturday.
The government had prescribed a note by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) by the same title as the guide for organising seminars, webinars, programmes, and workshops. A sections of educationists and writers have taken exception to this guideline, arguing that it only furthers the Hindutva agenda and glorifies the Vedic period, instead of emphasising and upholding values enshrined in the Constitution.
Constitution Day is celebrated every year on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India and to honour and acknowledge the contribution of founding fathers of the Constitution.
Concept note
The ICHR concept note traces the evolution of Indian democracy to “village communities that became self-governing and autonomous, and developed a hierarchy of self-governing institutions such as Panchya and Khaps, that enabled them to remain unaffected by and large by the changing kingdoms, empires particularly those of the invaders hostile to Hindu culture.”
The note also says: “The roots of people’s self-governance also lie in India’s Vedic period going back, vide the recent archaeological excavation at Rakhigarhi and Sanauli, to at least 5000 BCE, if not more.” It cites Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and other sources to argue the point. “Dharma was the anchor of society and compassion, empathy, non-violence were ways of life,” the note described.
“Bharatiya context of governance had a crucial difference with other ancient political philosophies like Greece and Rome. In India there was the constant emphasis on inner consciousness and the need to integrate with the totality of the universe,” the ICHR’s document says.
“In Hindu political theory, sovereignty rests in Dharma or law in the wider context. One of the most profound ideas in ancient Indian Political philosophy is that power or the office of the king is only a trust. India to the great surprise of the world with all its multiple plurality is today’s largest successful democracy, is because Indian people, infused with the spirit of equality, have had since the very Vedic times a Lokatantrika-parampara,” the document further describes.
Speaking to The Hindu, a Government First Grade college professor said: “Celebrating Constitution Day on the theme of India: The Mother of Democracy is a good concept. However, the focus of the document prescribed by the UGC and the government is objectionable.”
Writer S.G. Siddaramaiah said: “They are trying to distort the history and focus of the Constitution. The concept note makes no mention of traditions that rebelled against the Vedic tradition. We could argue in India the first democratic concept was Basava Dharma in 12th century Karnataka, which finds no mention here.”
In the name of Ambedkar
Mallika Ghanti, retired V-C, Hampi Kannada University, said this kind of focus amounts to ignoring our Constitution as conceived by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. “Glorifying religion in the name of Constitution conceived by him is highly condemnable. All educated and right-thinking people must oppose it,” she said
On the other hand, Lingaraja Gandhi, V-C, Bengaluru City University, said: “We have prepared everything for the celebration of Constitution Day. We will follow the instructions by UGC and have organised a lecture on the theme.”
