Constituent Assembly Remembering Swami Vivekanand
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-VOLUME II
Tuesday, the 21st January, 1947 Objective Resolution- Preamble
Mr. R. V. Dhulekar:
"Some say that the Constituent Assembly is not a sovereign body; it is a creation of the British; its very existence has no meaning and the Constitution drawn up by it has no importance. I cannot have the audacity to say that they are devoid of sense but I do say that they are ignorant of Indian history. I need not dwell much on this point. One thousand years ago, India, for some reason, was decentralised or divided and failing to withstand the invasions of foreigners came under their sway. Since that very time the fire of freedom has been, constantly blazing in the hearts of the Indian people. It was never extinguished. On the one hand, this fire appeared in the form of sages. Swami Ramdas, Goswami Tulsidas, Guru Nanak, Swami Dayanand, Ram Krishna Paramhansa, Vivekanand and Ram Teerath are symbols of this very fire. On the other hand, statesmen and politicians like Shivaji, Guru Govind Singh, Rana Pratap Rani of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Lokmanya Tilak, Motilal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose were also political symbols of this very fire.
Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan are saints and politicians both. The Indians owned Babar, Humayun and Akbar to the extent they indentified themselves with India. During the British regime in India not a single day has passed that has not seen some torture done to some Indian in jail for his zeal of freedom. The fight for freedom has been going on continuously for the--last two hundred years. The sixty years history of the Congress is a history of sufferings and sacrifices. Khudiram Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad and many other patriots in thousands sacrificed their lives for the cause of India's independence. Millions of Indians have shown wonderful heroism and patience because of the sacrifices made by Congressmen, England is gradually conceding power. The Acts passed in 1899, 1909, 1919 and 1935 go to prove that Indians have been gradually snatching power from the British. The national movement of 1940-52 and the international situation created by the recent Great War, have forced England to quit India. This Constituent Assembly represents the power that has been forcibly taken from the British. It is not their gift. The hands of Britain are not strong enough to take it back. England will have to accept the Constitution framed by us. There is no doubt about it. The recent triumph of India in the Assembly of the United Nations proves that India is no more a family concern of the British Imperialism. India has attained the status of a free and powerful nation."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME IV
Tuesday, the 22nd July 1947
(NATIONAL FLAG)
Mr. H. V Kamath (C. P. and
Berar: General
"In the words of Swami Vivekananda, we have never dipped
our hands in the neighbour's blood, our embattled cohorts have never marched
into other lands for conquest, and we
have always been the harbingers of peace and the makers of peace in this war-torn, war-weary world"
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME V
Thursday, the 28th August 1947 ( MINORITY RIGHTS )
Shri Upendra Nath Barman
"I submit that we, the Scheduled Castes, have joined
wholeheartedly in this constitution-making not only from outside but as members
of the Congress, because we know that whatever may be our shortcomings during
this period of our dependence whatever crimes we may have imbibed during our unfortunate
period, there had been born men amongst us, specially of Bengal I can say like Vivekananda
and Rabindranath Tagore who inspired in us the faith and hope of rejuvenation
of India. Now, during the course of my
taking part in this Constituent Assembly and the various Committees, I am confirmed in, my belief that after all the
genius of India has not forsaken her in her
hour of need. We have complete faith in the sagacity of the majority
community for the time being I call
them."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME VII
Thursday, 25th November 1948 ( International Peace )
Prof. B. H. Khardekar (Kolhapur):
"The mission of India is the mission of
peace. Right from Ram Tirth and
Vivekananda down to Tagore and Gandhiji, if he has done anything, has very
much strengthened it. Throughout history, it is not because we have been weak but
because it has been in our blood that we have been carrying on this mission of peace.
Non-violence is in the soil and in the heart of every Indian. It is not
something new. Gandhiji, if he has done anything, has very much strengthened
it. Throughout history it is not because we have been weak but because it has
been in our blood that we have always been peaceful, never aggressive.
Therefore, it is in keeping with our history,
with our tradition, with our culture, that we are a nation of peace and we are going to see that peace prevails in the
world."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME VII
Monday, the 29th November
1948 ( PROHIBITION OF UNTOUCHABILITY )
Dr. Monomohon Das (West Bengal: General
"Not only Mahatma Gandhi,
but also the other great men and philosophers of this ancient land, Swami
Vivekananda, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Rabindranath Tagore and others who led a relentless
struggle against this heinous custom, would also be very much pleased today to see that independent India, Free India has
at last finally done away with this malignant sore on the body of Indian
society. As a Hindu, I believe in the immortality of the soul. The souls of these great men, but
for whose devotion and life-long service
India would not have been what she is today, would be smiling upon us at
this hour at our courage and boldness in
doing away with this heinous custom of untouchability."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME VII
Monday, the 6th
December 1948 (Religion )
Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra (West Bengal: General):
"The great Swami Vivekananda used to say that India is respected and revered all over the world because of her rich spiritual heritage. The western world, strong with all the strength of a materialistic civilsation, rich with the acquisitions of science, having a dominating position in the world, is poor today because of its utter lack of spiritual treasure. And here does India step in. India has to import this rich spiritual treasure, this message of hers to the west. If we are to do that, if we are to educate the world, if we are to remove the doubts and misconceptions and the colossal ignorance that prevails in the world about India's culture and heritage, this right must be inherent,--the right to profess and propagate her religious faith must be conceded."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS)-
VOLUME VII
Monday, the 27th December, 1948 GOD IN OATH
Shri H. V. Kamath :
"I would appeal to the
House that we are heirs to an immortal and a spiritual heritage, a heritage
which is not physical, nor material nor temporal: a heritage which is of the
spirit--a spirit that is, ever was, and ever shall be, a heritage that is
eternal. Let us not squander this invaluable heritage. Let us not dissipate
this heritage: let us remain true to our ancient heritage, our spiritual
genius. Let us not lightly cast away the torch that has been handed down to us
from time immemorial. Let us in the words of Swami Vivekananda aspire to
conquer the world spiritually. Let us blaze forth a trail that will be the
light of the world as long as the sun
and moon and stars endure"
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES
(PROCEEDINGS) -
VOLUME IX
Tuesday, the 13th September 1949
Shri Kuladhar Chaliha (Assam : General)
:" Mr. President, Sir, after the speech of Dr. Subbarayan which was one of the most rational speeches ever made here in this House, if I come forward to support Sanskrit, I shall be taken as archaic or as an archaeological curiosity. I personally feel that we should have Sanskrit as our national language. Sanskrit and India are co-extensive. However much you can try, you cannot get away from Sanskrit. Our institutions are interwoven with it and values of our lives have been created out of its philosophy. All that is good and all that is valuable and all that we fight for and all that we hold precious have come from Sanskrit literature. The great personalities of Sri Krishna, the Buddha and the Father of the Nation-why do we follow them ? But for the heritage that we have in Sanskrit, we would not be following them. It is in Sanskrit that we have got the most beautiful literature, the most profound philosophy and the most intricate of sciences. Can we ever conceive of anything more beautiful than Kalidasa's Shakuntala or his Megadhuta ? Can we have any better things in the world or can you imagine any better culture in the world ? As regards philosophy, we have the rational philosophy of Sankhya, the philosophy that Swami Vivekananda took to Chicago, where he had it recognised that ours was one of the finest of religions. This was due to his deep knowledge of Sanskrit. Because of his volcanic energy, he was able to galvanise the world with his ideas."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) -
VOLUME XI
Saturday, the 19th November 1949 (III READING )
Shri H. V. Kamath: (C. P. & Berar: General)-
"True to the Indian genius our struggle, our awakening,began with
a spiritual renaissance which was pioneered by Ramakrishna Paramahansa,Swami
Vivekananda and Swami Diyananda. In the wake of those spiritual leaders came
the political renaissance and the cultural renaissance of which the
torchbearers, the leaders, the guides were Lokamanya Tilak, Aurobindo and
Mahatma Gandhi and, last but not the last, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Thanks
to Providence, leaders of those days, leaders like you, Sir, and Pandit Nehru
and Sardar Patel, are still with us to lead us to the goal which Mahatma Gandhi
had in view."
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) -
VOLUME XI
Saturday, the 19th November
1949 (III READING )
Shri H. V. Kamath:
"I would only say one thing more, Sir and that is this: that we
the people of India,will not forget our spiritual genius and our ancient
traditions. It was Swami Vivekananda who said that the day India forgets
God, the day she discards spirituality,that day she will die, that day she will
cease to be a force in tee world. I hope we will keep alive our traditions in
spite of the fact that we lightheartedly forgot to invoke the name of God in
the Preamble. Yea, let us work this Constitution in the spirit of divine guidance, under divine grace and blessing. It
was Mahatma Gandhi who all in his prayers prayed.-
'Sabko sanmati de Bhagawan'
Swami Vivekananda exhorted India to rise and chanted the Vedantic Mantram.
Uttishthata jagrata prapya varanmibodhata
Awake, Arise and Stop Not Till the Goal is
Reached"
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) -
VOLUME
XI
Wednesday, the 23rd November 1949 ( International
peace)
Shri R.V. Dhulekar (United
Provinces : General
"Then, Sir, the sixth point is international peace. We pray for
international peace. We have always believed in it, and I am proud of it when I
say that India has never invaded any country outside its own boundaries, and I
am happy at that thought. Like Alexander the Great or the great robber, no king of India marched
on another land. Like Nadirshah or Mahmud Ghazni or Mohammad Ghori, no king of
India stepped out of this country for any conquest or territory. I am happy at that thought.
Therefore, when we lay it down that international peace is our ultimate aim, I may say that the whole
world must believe us. When England or America
says that they want peace, they are not believed. Everybody is suspicious of
them, because these people have never proved in their life that what they said
was true. England and other countries
have gone out of their countries and invaded other countries raided them and robbed them. Therefore, when they say today
in the U.N.O. that they love peace, they are not believed. I say, Sir, that
India will be believed. I say, Sir, that India will be believed and every man in the world will believe when we
say that we want international peace. When
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru went to America, why was he given such a great
ovation? Whey did people throng in thousands and lakhs to greet him? It was
because he had a great history behind him. They knew that he was coming from a
country where Yagyavalkas, where Mahatma
Gandhi, Ramkrishna Paramhansa and where Swami Vivekananda and Sir Rabindranath Tagore were born. These men went
outside India with the mission, not of the sword, but with that of peace."
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