The Constitution has become a living document and it binds the people of this great country as one family. The Constitution also provides the ultimate foundation of collective identity as Indians. This is how President Droupadi Murmu opened her address to the nation on the eve of the 76th Republic Day Saturday evening. As the President says, for 75 years now, the Constitution has guided the path of the nation’s progress. Describing the Constitution as “the most wonderful document” which is the outcome of the hard work put in by a team of highly dedicated patriotic persons of exceptional calibre, the President has very rightfully stated that on the occasion of Republic Day, it is kind of a solemn bounden duty of each and every citizen to humbly express gratitude to Dr B R Ambedkar, who chaired the Drafting Committee, and all other distinguished members of the Constituent Assembly, various officers associated with and others who worked hard and bequeathed it to the people of the nation 76 years ago. Those who heard the President’s speech aired on Saturday evening, must have also noted how she also described Republic Day as a matter of “collective joy and pride” for all citizens, and said that the long-dormant soul of India has awakened again, taking strides to regain its rightful place in the comity of nations. Pertinent to note, the President touched upon a wide range of topics, from the enduring significance of the Constitution to India’s achievements in space exploration, sports and preservation of culture. She has rightfully emphasized the country’s progress in the various welfare initiatives taken by the present government, the efforts to combat climate change, and the various reforms aimed at redefining governance. Lauding the Union cabinet’s approval of the ‘One Nation One Election’ plan, the President has observed that this plan, once implemented, can promote consistency in governance, at the same time preventing policy paralysis and reduce the nation’s financial burden to a great extent. Reaching out to the people of the nation, President Murmu also particularly underscored the leadership role that India has been playing in tackling global climate change by taking certain significant environmental initiatives, and particularly mentioned about the “Mission Lifestyle for Environment” and the “Ek Ped Maa ke Naam” campaign. The latter, as the President pointed out, has already surpassed its set goal of planting 80 crore seedlings. The recent successes achieved by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) too has found due importance in the President’s Republic Day eve address to the nation. She particularly highlighted the Space Docking Experiment undertaken successfully by ISRO, one which has made India the fourth nation in the world to achieve this exceptional capability. It is also important to note that the President has expressed hope for the future, envisioning a time when the children of the present time will salute the tricolour in the year 2050 and recall how India’s incomparable Constitution had guided them all the way to a situation where they will in reality by able to hold their heads high. In this context, President Droupadi Murmu also expressed full confidence that the future generations of India will continue to uphold the mission of Independent India. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she said that if Swaraj was not meant to civilize us, and to purify and stabilize our civilization, then it would not be worth it. As Gandhiji had said, the very essence of our civilization is that we give paramount place to morality in all our affairs, whether public or private. In tune with what the President said in her speech, Republic Day is definitely an occasion to also remember that the composition of the Constituent Assembly itself was a testimony to the republican values that this country strongly cherishes. Led from the front by a galaxy of great minds alongside Ambedkar, like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Chakravarty Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, A Krishnaswamy Iyer, to name a few, Constituent Assembly, as one may recall, had representatives from all parts and all communities of the country. Though there was not a single woman member from the Northeast, it is important to note that the Constituent Assembly had as many as 15 women members, including stalwarts like Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani. It were these great women who had worked overtime to ensure equality for women in the then new-born nation, the outcome of which, as one looks back, is that India women have been actively contributing in shaping the destiny of the nation. One must also note what the President said about the country’s economic growth. She said that it has “remained persistently high” in the recent years, which, apart from positively impacting upon the overall economic situation, has contributed towards creation of employment opportunities for the youth in a significant manner.