The News Freedom
New Delhi, November 26
In his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the country had come under the most dastardly terror attack on this day but it is India’s fortitude that made us surmount the ordeal and we are now quelling terror with full ardor.
“I pay homage to all of them who lost their lives in the Mumbai attack. Today, the country is in remembrance of those brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the attack,” the Prime Minister said on the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack.
On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.
The Prime Minister further said that November 26 is extremely significant on one more account. It was on this very day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly had passed and adopted the Constitution of India. “I remember in the year 2015 when we were celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar, a thought had struck the mind to observe the 26th of November as Constitution Day. And since then, every year, we have been celebrating this day as Constitution Day. I extend my best wishes to all countrymen on the occasion of Constitution Day. And together we shall certainly attain the resolve of a developed India, according to priority to citizens’ duties,” the Prime Minister further said.
He further said that the Constitution took 2 years 11 months and 18 days for coming into being. The oldest member of the Constituent Assembly was Sachidananda Sinha. The draft of our Constitution came up after a close study of the Constitution of over 60 countries; after long deliberations. “After readying the draft, before the final structure shaped up, over 2000 amendments were re-incorporated in it. Even after the Constitution came into force in 1950, till this day, a total of 106 amendments have been carried out in the Constitution,” the Prime Minister further said.
“In consonance with the times, circumstances and requirements of the country, various Governments carried out amendments at different times. But this too has been a misfortune that the Constitution’s first amendment pertained to curtailing the Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression. Whereas, through the 44th amendment, the wrongs committed during the Emergency had been duly rectified, he said.
Sharing details, the Prime Minister said that again inspiring that out of the same members of the Constituent Assembly who were nominated, 15 were Women. One such Member was Hansa Mehta Ji, who raised her voice for the sake of rights and justice to women. “During that period, India was one of the countries whose Constitution enabled voting rights to women. In the process of nation-building, collective development is possible only with support from everyone. It’s a matter of inner satisfaction for me that in adherence to the farsightedness of the framers of the Constitution, the Parliament of India has now passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act,” he said. He said that the Nari Shakti VandanAdhiniyam is an example of the Sankalp Shakti, the strength of the resolve of the democracy and this will provide a fillip to the pace of accomplishing our resolve of a developed India.
He said that when the people at large take charge of nation-building, no power in the world can stop that country from moving forward. “Today, it is clearly visible in India that many transformations are being led by the 140 crore people of the country. We have seen a direct example of this during this festive season,” he said. “Last month in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ I had laid emphasis on ‘Vocal for Local’ that is buying local products. Within the last few days, business worth more than Rs 4 lakh crore has been done in the country on Diwali, BhaiyaDooj and Chhath. And during this period, tremendous enthusiasm was seen among the people in buying products Made in India,” Modi said.