Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

 "If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it"

Not the ideal quote to describe the day the nation commemorates as National Constitution Day. But then if the man who people call the Father of Constitution said this, one cannot but stop and take a look at it.

My first memory of the word constitution was in sixth standard, ICSE Civics portion. And I can recall bits and pieces of what I unhesitatingly swallowed up. From then I have no absolute memory of constitution whatsoever. I can think about few Rights being tossed back and forth in my memory, but most of them have been through the recent reading habit picked up. I'm not here to blame the educational system, but rather shamelessly look at my A+ grade for Social studies I scored in my boards. What is the purpose of a system, if it doesn't serve the purpose?

Constitution stands as a rock, a rock of salvation, a rock that builders rejected and yet it stands as the cornerstone for the framework of this land we call home. Time has weathered down many ideologies, laid wastelands to governments that couldn't be shaken, set sun free from empires that had kept it a hostage. Yet, constitution remains as solid it as it stood the first day. And ironically, that has been stagnation of this country.

We often boast and marvel at the fact that we are the largest democracy in the world. And its the constitution that guarantees the political democracy. In this 110m hurdle , we haven't quite ran past the first hurdle. It's not the matter of tripping and falling down, it's that we stop at the first hurdle every five years and just stop there. And again restart the race, to be at a familiar place. Oh no, it's not Deja vu or a time loop which you can't escape. It is downright ignorance of responsibility and settling for personal agenda than the greater good. The road is long and the path is narrow, but we haven't gone pass the first stride.

It's almost seven decades we are mere content with the political democracy we achieved, there is hardly any progress in the social democracy front. When both should have been the laid properly for this country to reach its heights. And lately, the scale has tipped and this system is nothing but a catastrophe delayed.

I was in dark for a long time, and light shined on me when I stumbled across one of my sister's books. The Annihilation of Caste. It's usual to have a kind of attachment to a book or a character after a read. I've had that experience quite a few times, you feel a homesickness to a place you have never experienced. I couldn't shake away the pain and despair of Karnan for many days after reading Karnan by Shivaji Sawant. But with this book, it was different. It was sight for my eyes, I could see things now. Things I conveniently avoided earlier.

Social Democracy means a socialist system of government achieved by democratic means. Liberté, égalité, fraternité. The motto of French revolution which Babasaheb adopted into the basic framework of our constitution. Social democracy is wedded to this principle as one. It's like the Christian view on God, The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost. Three in one, the trinity. There is absolute harmony between the three. That is how these basic principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity works. These three have to work in absolute tandem to gain the social democracy we desire for.

We have been living a lie, if we are to believe that we have equality among us. There is no social equality nor economic equality. The rich 10% gets richer every single day and the rest 90% left to carry the burden. But the per capita income is increasing, thanks to rich bosses of the land, for once they are covering up for all of us. Social equality is a myth for the festival of Onam.

Fraternity, a common sense of brotherhood for all Indians. The old serpent is still waggling his tail with the apple that he tricked Eve. Caste and creed has divide this country into innumerable pieces, the minds of people have been corrupted by something that defies all goodness. Yes, we used to be one at least for cricket, not anymore.

We have in India a society based on the principle of graded inequality which we have a society in which there are some who superior because of the house they are born and who have immense wealth as against many who live in abject poverty.

Right to life, right to live with human dignity.

“Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the life and personal liberty to all persons. It guarantees the right of persons to life with human dignity. Therein are included, all the aspects of life which go to make a person’s life meaningful, complete and worth living. The human life has its charm and there is no reason why life should not be enjoyed along with all permissible pleasures.

Yes, the constitution guarantees it, even if it isn't an absolute right it does says, right to aspects of life to make a person's life meaningful, complete and worth living.

YES, the constitution has all the right words, it has a soul that connects us all, on paper at least. But it can only be done in establishing the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. Until then it's just paper.

As the man rightly said, Life should be great, rather than long. In these unfortunate times, there is no question of choice also. But let's hope against hope, for the promises Constitution upholds. For that fabled ACHE DIN!