Matribhumi Samachar English
The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today expressed pain and disappointment that some people in key positions are ignorant about the Constitution. “They have no idea of Bharat; they have no idea of our national interest. They do not understand that this country has a civilization depth of 5000 years”, he remarked.
Highlighting that every Indian outside the country has to be an ambassador of this nation, the Vice-President said, “How painful that one who holds a Constitutional position is doing just the reverse of it! Nothing can be more condemnable, despicable and intolerable than that you become part of enemies of the nation!”
Addressing participants of the third batch of Rajya Sabha Internship Programme at Parliament House in New Delhi today, the Vice-President stated, “The Constitution was structured over three years of painstaking work by the founding fathers of the Constitution, the members of the Constituent assembly, over 18 sessions without disruption, without disturbance, without sloganeering, without any posters being raised.”
He further emphasized that the Constitution worked through the mechanism of debate, dialogue, discussion and deliberation. “Though the challenges before them were Himalayan, insurmountable, the issues divisive, they still worked for it. And now some people want to divide our nation. This is ignorance in extremity!” he added.
Highlighting the significance of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, the Vice-President said, “We the people of India are fountain heads of it. We give to ourselves this Constitution, for justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Just imagine, someone wants to tear fraternity to pieces outside this country, imagining a situation which is non-existent.”
Talking about reservation, the Vice-President said, “Reservation is embedded in our Constitution. It is there by way of affirmative action. It is a vibrant facet of our Constitution. Some people go out and make light of it”.
Appealing to the young minds and citizens to work together to neutralize divisiveness, the Vice-President said “Some loose cannons powered by enemies of India, fuelled in every sense of the term by interests that want to create unrest in the country, bring about divisiveness, they have to be neutralized by young minds and by all citizens working in togetherness.”
He further asserted, “If we are true Bhartiyas, if we believe in our nation, we will never side with the enemies of the nation. We will all stand spinally for the nation.”
Underlining the sacrifices of freedom fighters in securing and protecting the freedom of the nation, the Vice-President noted, “Our brothers and sisters are also involved in combat position. Mothers have lost their sons, wives have lost their husbands. We can’t ridicule our nationalism”.
Cautioning against the silence of citizens on such critical occasions, Shri Dhankhar said “We are participating in such misdemeanors by remaining silent. Each one of you must speak out. We will not let our dedication to nationalism diminish in any way. Our resolve is that nationalism must remain supreme, above family, above self, above politics”, he added.
The Vice-President further asserted, “Political parties can do politics within the ambit of the law, within the ambit of the Constitution. How they do so does not concern me. They may criticize the government, but they cannot undermine the nation, that too in collaboration with the enemies. This is not a single incident.”
Shri Dhankhar said that the underlying purpose of the Rajya Sabha Internship Programme was to “ignite that particular flame that connects you with the Indian Parliament, in turn with Indian nationalism and the nation.” “Here you will be warriors to propagate a theme that we should always keep the nation first. We will keep our nation above self interest, above partisan interest”, he added.
Shri P.C. Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha; Shri Rajit Punhani, Secretary, Rajya Sabha; Dr. Vandana Kumar, Additional Secretary, Rajya Sabha and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
