At
the suggestion of Prof. K. T. Shah the question of calligraphy and artistic decoration and printing of the original
authoritative copy of the Constitution of India was taken. up. It was
decided that the work should be started as early as possible and calligraphy
should be completed by the 20th January, 1950 and the work of illumination and
decoration of the calligraphed pages may continue even after that date till it
is completed. Copy of Constitution of India in English was handwritten by Prem Bihari Raizada Saxena and in Hindi the work of calligraphy was done
by Vasant Krishna Vaid.
The
matter to be calligraphed consisted of about 300 pages of 6½" x 9½",
each page containing about 40 lines. It was also proposed to use parchment
paper of
the
size of 14" x18" and a margin of 2½" was to be left at the top
and the sides for illumination work and of l½" at the bottom. The rest of
the space in the middle of the sheet was to be covered by the calligraphist.
The cover was to bear the seal and emblem of the Union with a description in
general and concise terms of the contents of the manuscript. . At the
suggestion of Krishna Kriplani the President
wrote
to Acharya Nandalal Bose of the Shantiniketan asking if he would
undertake the work of supervision and decoration and illumination of the
calligraphed authenticated copy of the Constitution. Acharya Nandalal Bose agreed
to the President's request but suggested
that it would not be possible to make designs based on historical subjects as
suggested by the President, owing to shortage of space in the margin, and in
the alternative agreed to make ornamental designs covering the whole period of
Indian civilization.( Brief note on the calligraphy of the Constitution
of India ; Parliament Secretariat June 1950)
The Vedic
period is represented by a scene of
gurukula .Sri Aurobindo writes on Veda "At the root of all
that we Hindus have done, thought and said through these many thousands of
years, behind all we are and seek to be, there lies concealed, the fount of our
philosophies, the bedrock of our religions, the kernel of our thought, the
explanation of our ethics and society, the summary of our civilisation, the
rivet of our nationality, a small body of speech, Veda. From this one seed
developing into many forms the multitudinous and magnificent birth called
Hinduism draws its inexhaustible existence. Buddhism too with its offshoot,
Christianity, flows from the same original source. It has left its stamp on
Persia, through Persia on Judaism, through Judaism, Christianity and Sufism on
Islam, and through Buddha on Confucianism, and through Christ and mediaeval
mysticism, Greek and German philosophy and Sanskrit learning on the thought and
civilisation of Europe. There is no part of the world's spirituality, of the world's
religion, of the world's thought which would be what it is today, if the Veda
had not existed. Of no other body of speech in the world can this be
said."( Sri Aurobindo Archives
and Research April 1977 Volume I; No 1)
The epic period by a visual of Lord Sri
Rama, Mata Sita and Lakshmana returning homeward .The philosophical base of India in found in the
Ramayan, Sri Aurobindo writes "The distinction that India draws is not
between altruism and egoism but between disinterestedness and desire. The altruist
is profoundly conscious of himself and
he is really ministering to himself even in his altruism; hence the hot &
sickly odour of sentimentalism and the taint of the Pharisee which clings about
European altruism. With the perfect Hindu the feeling of self has been merged
in the sense of the universe; he does
his duty equally whether it happens to promote the interests of others or his
own; if his action seems
oftener
altruistic than egoistic it is because our duty oftener coincides with the
interests of others than with our own. Rama’s duty as a son calls him to
sacrifice himself, to leave the empire of the world and become a beggar& a
hermit; he does it cheerfully and unflinchingly: but when Sita is taken from
him, it is his duty as a husband to rescue her from her ravisher and as a
Kshatriya to put Ravana to death if he persists in wrongdoing. This duty also
he pursues with the same unflinching energy as the first. He does not shrink
from the path of the right because it coincides with the path of self-interest.
" (Vol 01,Complete Works Sri Aurobindo 236 ;Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Publication Department 2003)
The
epic period by a visual of another of
Lord Yogeshwar Krishna propounding the Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield.
Sri Aurobindo writes on the Mahabharata "The Pandavas also go
without a word into exile & poverty, because honour demands it of them; but
their ordeal over, they will not, though ready to drive compromise to its
utmost verge, consent to succumb utterly to Duryodhana, for it is their duty as
Kshatriyas to protect the world from the reign of injustice, even though it is
at their own expense that injustice seeks to reign. The Christian &
Buddhistic doctrine of turning the other cheek to the smiter , is as dangerous
as it is impracticable. The continual European see-saw between Christ on the
one side and the flesh &the devil on
the other with the longer trend towards the latter comes straight from a
radically false moral distinction & the lip profession of an ideal which
mankind has never been either able or willing to carry into practice.
The
disinterested & desireless pursuit of duty is a gospel worthy of the
strongest
manhood;
that of the cheek turned to the smiter is a gospel for cowards & weaklings.
Babes & sucklings may practise it because they must, but with others it is
a hypocrisy."( Vol 06-07 Complete Works Sri Aurobindo 281 Sri
Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department 2002)
Then
there are depictions of the lives of the Lord Buddha and Bhagwan Mahavira, followed by
scenes from the courts of Ashoka and Vikramaditya and also the scene of tapsya
of Bhagirath for the descent of Ganga. Orissan sculpture and image of Nataraj reflect the art aspect ;
scene of ancient university (Nalanda)
along with other great figures of our history who are represented are Akbar,
Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Tipu Sultan, and Lakshmibai.
The
freedom movement is delineated by line drawings of Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi march
.Gandhiji's weapons of non cooperation,
swadehi and boycott were inspired by
doctrine of passive resistance as enunciated by Sri Aurobindo in 1907.Sri Aurobindo writes "The first
principle of passive resistance, therefore, which the new school
have placed in the forefront of their programme, is to make administration
under present conditions impossible by an organised refusal to do
anything which shall help either British commerce in the exploitation of the country or British officialdom in the
administration of it, – unless and until the conditions are changed in the
manner and to the extent demanded by the people.. This attitude is summed
up in the one word, Boycott .The second canon of the doctrine of passive
resistance has therefore been accepted by politicians of both schools – that to
resist an unjust coercive order or interference Iit s not only justifiable but,
under given circumstances, a duty".( Vol06-07 Complete Works Sri
Aurobindo 292 Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department 2002)
"We must therefore admit a third
canon of the doctrine of passive resistance, that social boycott is
legitimate and indispensable as against persons guilty of treason to the nation"1."Our
defensive resistance must therefore be mainly passive in the beginning,
although with a perpetual readiness to supplement it with active
resistance whenever compelled"( Vol06-07 Complete Works Sri Aurobindo 301 Sri
Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department 2002)
The
freedom movement is delineated by line drawings of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
and other patriots trying to liberate Mother India (in Hindi Bharat Mata) from outside India.
Kesavananda Bharati case in which
Basic Structure Doctrine was laid down ,every citizen has right to have access
to copy of full Constitution depicting the civilization of India which forms the
soul of the civilization of Great India
Article 1 of the Constitution of India states
that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States ;
illumination of the civilization in the
original handwritten Constitution of clearly ,explicitly and integrally explains what is
Bharat- integration, assimilation and synthesis of values of present times in
light of guiding principles of Sanatan values of Bharat
The Supreme Court of
India has, in the Kesavananda case , recognised that the preamble may be used
to interpret ambiguous areas of the constitution where differing
interpretations present themselves. In the 1995 case of Union Government Vs LIC
of India also, the Supreme Court has once again held that Preamble is the
integral part of the Constitution.On the same lines it is not irrational and
unconstitutional to use the illumination
of the civilization of India in the
original handwritten Constitution of India
to interpret
ambiguous areas of the constitution where differing interpretations present
themselves
The word
Secularism was inserted without any clear and concise definition ,wrecking
havoc in the form of conflicting definitions . That
illumination of the civilization of India
in the original handwritten Constitution of India clearly ,explicitly and integrally explains what
is Secularism in India as envisaged by
the honorable members of the Constituent Assembly .This clearly explains that
Secularism of India is different from the western Secularism. it is very
disappointing that in the name of secularism
the civilizations of India has been often not taught and discussed in
schools and college . This citizen of India feels that illumination
of the civilization of India in the
original handwritten Constitution of India
provides
guidelines to the school curriculum making one chapter mandatory on various
topics of photolithography.
The illumination of the civilization of
India in the
original handwritten Constitution of India explicitly and integrally
incorporates all the Fundamental Duties and shall go
a long way in inculcating the values of
citizenship will go a long way in upholding the Constitutional Morality
as discussed by Dr Ambedkar
Nationalism
in form of Spiritual nationalism was unanimously accepted by the honourable
members of constituent Assembly in form
of Bharat Mata
as found in the The illumination of the
civilization of India in the original handwritten Constitution of India will go a long way in upholding the Constitutional Morality
as discussed by Dr Ambedkar .Hence it
can be said that had this been open secret today India would not hve seen the
anti- national slogans in education
institutions like JNU New Delhi etc.Member of
Parliament would not have said "where is Bharata Mata written in
the Constitution of India"
The illumination of the civilization of India
in the original handwritten
Constitution of India clearly ,explicitly and
integrally highlights the basic structure of the civilisation of India and the
history of India.It forms a litmus test to prevent the politicisation of
education. It represents
the microcosm of the civilisation of India where it clearly lays down the
principles of SWARAJ and SURAAJ .The ideals of the freedom struggle from
Britishraj.
It
underlines the integral idea of Violence and Non Violence to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and
integrity of India. It underlines the change with continuity from Vedic period
to 20th Century.It reiterates the aspirations of Swami Vivekanand and Sri Aurobindo
that India to lead the world as Vishwguru,It underlines profound vitality, strong mental
faculties and spirituality at the
centre-reminding the glorious past and
bright promised future of India.
Stronly feeling the significance of the Illumination
of the civilization in the original authoritative copy of the Constitution of India ,this
author has requested the Government of India
that all the
Bare Acts of the Constitution of India must not
be allowed to be published
without the photographs/designs as found in the Original handwritten
Constitution of India duly signed by the Honorable members of the Constituent
Assembly
Conclusion: Illumination of the civilization in the
original authoritative copy of the Constitution of India is the base for
understanding the culture and civilization of India .Government of India
must issue directions that all
the Bare Acts of the Constitution of India must not be allowed to be published without the
photographs/designs as found in the Original handwritten
Constitution of India duly signed by the Honorable members of the Constituent
Assembly India must
issue directions that all the Bare Acts of the Constitution of India
must not be allowed to be published without the
photographs/designs as found in the Original handwritten Constitution
of India duly signed by the Honourable members of the Constituent Assembly.
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