Muneeb Rashid Malik
“The ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ of freedom has turned in the direction of ‘Amrit Kaal’ and, therefore, ‘Sabka Prayas’ is necessary in this ‘Amrit Kaal’. ‘Sabka Prayas’ is going to yield this result. The spirit of Team India is going to take the country forward. This Team India of 130 crore countrymen will realize all the dreams by moving forward as a team. – Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
India’s beauty isn’t solely derived from its picturesque landscape but India is also a land of generosity, of traditional hospitality and the acceptance of many cultures, as pithily put by Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. India’s beauty also stems by the nation’s togetherness with the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat which stands for One India, Supreme India. It is a proud moment for all of us as our country is celebrating 76 years of independence. India achieved independence from the British colonialism on 15th August, 1947, after a long struggle which witnessed the sacrifice of lives by our great freedom fighters. The Independence Day is celebrated throughout the country, every year, on 15th August, as the day signifies the deliverance of the country from the British rule, which lasted for more than 200 years. Today is a momentous occasion to salute all brave hearts who sacrificed themselves for the independence of the country.
This year’s Independence Day hold added importance as India has taken over the role of the G20 Presidency when the world is witnessing economic slowdown, detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring energy as well as food prices, climate change, digital divide, etc., which are serious issues that need to be tackled by concerted efforts.
The theme of India’s G20 Presidency is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or One Earth, One Family, One Future, which affirms the value of all life possible. India’s G20 priorities are noteworthy and emphasize upon green development, climate finance, and LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment); accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth; accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); technological transformation and digital public infrastructure; multilateral institutions for the 21st century; and women-led development. Over 200 G20 meetings are being held across the country which have already started in December, 2022. The G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State and Government is scheduled to be held on September 9th and 10th, 2023, in New Delhi, which will be an apogee of all the G20 meetings held throughout the year. The G20 Presidency is also important for the country as it marks the dawn of Amritkaal, the 25-year period beginning from the 75th anniversary of its independence leading up to the centenary of its independence.
Addressing climate change holds significant importance for India as it looks to focus on climate finance as well as technology with a mindset to ensure energy transitions for developing nations. The LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), an initiative for adopting environment-friendly practices, is a fruitful step which goes hand in hand with India’s notable G20 theme, i.e., Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Our country also aims to integrate Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with global trade to strengthen labour rights, fill-in the global skills gap and infuse the spirit of trade globally. India has prioritized the Sustainable Development Goals which are designed to end poverty, hunger, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and discrimination against women and girls. Women empowerment and representation are in focus as India plans to bring more and more women in key positions so that the Sustainable Development Goals and socio-economic development can get a healthy impetus. Our country is making digital access public, but internationally there is still a tremendous digital divide, hence, the principle of data for development is an important part of the G20 theme, i.e., Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. In the year 2021, over 40 percent of the world’s payment transactions took place through Unified Payment Interface (UPI), an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India. 460 million new bank accounts were opened in India based on digital identity. The CoWIN platform, a web portal for COVID-19 vaccination registration, made the vaccination campaign a huge success.
In our country, gender inequalities are reducing and women are marching ahead effectively. More than 14 lakh elected representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions are women. India is also among the fastest growing major economies in the world and it is happening because of the concerted efforts of the government and policy-makers. What is also evident is that the growth is becoming inclusive and regional disparities are disappearing. The National Education Policy has also been introduced which aims to pave the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems in the country and it will also help us to achieve the Goal 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in the year 2015. It will also help in rebuilding the education structure to create a system that is aligned with the goals of education in the 21st century.
The Constitution of India, our supreme law, is a living constitution and Justice Krishna Iyer once aptly enunciated that the Indian Constitution is the cornerstone of a liberated nation which lays the grand foundation of a great people’s political edifice of governance and spells out the fundamental rights and socialistic aspirations of the vast masses long inhibited by an imperialist ethos. It creates a trinity of democratic instrumentalities with checks and balances, parliamentary in structure, quasi-federal in character.
An independent judiciary, an accountable Parliament at the Centre and like legislatures at the State level, a powerful Election Commission and fearless, critical Comptroller and Auditor General provide a paramountcy of democracy, at once responsible and responsive. Judicial review of State action, public finance auditable by a constitutional authority, obligation to seek fresh mandate through general elections with the adult franchise, accountability, direct and indirect, to the people in several ways, – these are fundamental in the governance of the country. The people, though free, have fundamental duties mandated by Article 51-A of the Constitution to exercise which, as in cases of environmental and ecological preservation, compassion for living creatures, protection of the value of composite culture, the authority of judicial writ power may be moved in aid.
As we celebrate 76 years of our country’s independence, it will be apposite to remind ourselves of the objectives of the Constitution. We must draw our attention towards the basic principles of law in our society and call to mind the purpose which the law has in view to serve in a country governed by rule of law envisaged by the Constitution. Fundamental rights and fundamental duties have to be given equal importance. Fundamental duties, though non-justiciable, are rules of law. It is our duty to abide by the Constitution and carry out our fundamental duties effectively for instilling a sense of obligation and discipline amongst ourselves. We have to fulfil the objectives of the Constitution to dispense social justice to the people of our country. The Judiciary has played a magnificent role in upholding the Constitution and must always travel on the same path of delivering justice constructively. The Constitution obliges us to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity, so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement. Therefore, on the occasion of Independence Day, let us pledge to uphold our living Constitution and protect the unique identity of our beautiful nation.
(The author is an Advocate)
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