Republic Day special: President Droupadi Murmu's tribute to the founding mothers of the Constitution

As we celebrate 75 years of the Constitution, let us examine what this journey means to an ordinary citizen. Why has a written document crafted by mortals like us in flesh and blood acquired veneration of all, transcending barriers of gender, caste, religion and region in the country?

The Constitution consists of words that redefined India that is Bharat. With the strokes of many pens held by geniuses, they created pathways for the future. Most of the distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly had spent their youth fighting an alien regime and its oppression. But they were not bitter. Instead, they distilled the best traditions of India in giving shape to the country’s destiny. Granting universal franchise without any discrimination or preconditions, the Constitution gave wings to hopes of millions of the underprivileged who deserved assistance.

The beauty of this document is its dynamism. It’s not cast in stone. It adapts with the changing times while retaining its basic structure intact. That’s the precise reason why the Indian Constitution has withstood the test of time and acted as a moral compass to steer the course of the nation. It embodied our civilisational ethos and provided a normative yardstick for the pursuit of excellence and building an ideal society.

Reading the names of the members of the Constituent Assembly, we cannot help but be full of veneration for them for converting the hopes and aspirations of “We the People” into a momentous written document. What, however, is more extraordinary is that when the rest of the world was debating the political status of women, the Constituent Assembly of India included 15 women members, from diverse backgrounds, who lent more legitimacy and credence to the process of drafting the Constitution.

The ‘Founding Mothers’ of the Constitution had distinct experiences and insights of their own, which enriched the debates of the Assembly and made the process inclusive. Each of them overcame many obstacles to create a path for others like them. Consider, for example, Dakshayini Velayudhan, the only dalit woman to be elected to the Constituent Assembly. She emerged as an ardent champion of marginalised groups and a free society. Ammu Swaminathan had, as an Assembly member and also as a social worker, focused on economic issues of women workers. Annie Mascarene not only was a freedom fighter but also campaigned for the integration of the princely states within the Indian Union.

Hansa Mehta, an erudite feminist, played a crucial role not only in the drafting of our Constitution but also in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Durgabai Deshmukh, a social reformer ahead of her time, had led women satyagrahis during the historic Salt Satyagraha, and she was jailed three times. The other members had equally inspiring life stories and contributed to the Constitution-making in their own ways.

They all called for equal economic rights for men and women. The Constitution directs the State to frame policies to ensure that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means to livelihood and that there is equal pay for equal work for men and women. We have enacted the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 to ensure equal remuneration to men and women workers and also to prevent discrimination against women.

The role of women in the economy has also been increasing. Many reports point to the enhanced engagement of women in economic activity, and the upward trend of educated women in the workforce. To support women across various economic sectors, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 was also amended in 2017 which increased paid maternity leave and provided for other enabling provisions.

The triumphant emergence of India as a modern democracy and one of the largest economies is the result of ever-increasing equality and inclusivity. If we consider gender, for example, over the years, women’s participation has been increasing in all institutions including legislature, executive and judiciary.

In our country, women have held the offices of the President, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, among others. Globally, India has the largest absolute number of elected women representatives in local governments. In the Panchayati Raj institutions, 1.4 million, or 46 per cent of the total elected representatives, are women, driving positive change.

Despite significant strides in women’s empowerment, their participation in the legislative process was far from equal. To do away with this historical wrong, Parliament enacted the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, also known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

While giving assent to this bill, I was reminded of the women members of the Constituent Assembly and especially what Hansa Mehta had said: “The future Constitution of the country will affect both men and women equally. Women, therefore, have as much interest in it as men have, perhaps more, for women…” This new legislation will usher us into a new era of equality of status.

With visionary moves like this, made possible by the framework of the Constitution, women are breaking the glass ceiling in a number of fields. The National Defence Academy (NDA) has opened its doors for women candidates. In the Indian Navy, women officers are being appointed onboard warships and as special naval air operation (NAO) officers. With a gender-neutral approach, women officers of the Indian Air Force are being inducted into combat roles without any restrictions.

Time was when ‘science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine’ (STEMM) were the streams with a poor gender ratio, but now women constitute about 43 per cent of enrolment in these branches of education. They are no longer merely participating but also assuming leadership roles in space research programmes like the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 solar missions.

The Supreme Court of India has been ensuring justice for women and has also increased the scope of women’s rights in many of its progressive judgments. It has also released the ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ so that antiquated or incorrect ideas do not become part of its judgments and the transformative project of securing equal rights continues unabated.

However, the project of women’s empowerment and social equality remains incomplete. There are still many social prejudices, some leading to even violence against women. Unfortunately, this is true for all parts of the world, and we as a society have to change our outlook on this issue.

Yet, based on our past achievements and present policies, I remain an optimist and hold a firm belief that the constitutional mandate of giving agency and equality to every person will be fulfilled. As India marches on to become a developed nation by 2047, our collective and conscious efforts will ensure that no one is left behind – especially women. Only when gender prejudices are annihilated will we be able to create a society envisioned by our Constitution makers. So, let us renew our commitment to the Constitution and the aspirations and dreams of our founding mothers and fathers so that our nation attains its rightful and honoured place in the world.