On the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India on November 26, JGU held the Dedication Ceremony of the Constitution Museum & the Rights and Freedoms Academy established at the JGU campus. Shri Bandaru Dattatraya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, was the Chief Guest on the occasion where family members of the Constituent Assembly members shared their reflections and engaged in an interaction.

On the same day, the Constitution Day Lecture on the theme ‘Giving to Ourselves’ – The Constitution of India’ was delivered by Professor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former High Commissioner & Ambassador and former Governor of West Bengal.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dattatraya said:  “I am delighted and honoured to be at this historic event on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution. I congratulate JGU on its unique endeavour to establish the Constitution Museum and the Rights & Freedom Academy. This museum will not only help in making the students aware about the Constitution but it will also inform the public. It is my earnest hope that such a Constitution Museum be constructed in every state of India.

“Today is also an occasion to remember the farsighted members of the First Constituent Assembly where Dr. B.R. Ambedkar framed and drafted the great Constitution which established India as the largest republic in the world. The Constitution was written after great study, research and scholarship which was a real challenge in a diverse country like India. Today it represents the ambitions and values of 140 billion Indians. As the foundation of the world’s biggest democracy, the Constitution protects the fundamental rights of its citizens based on equality, liberty and fraternity. It is the responsibility of our youth to maintain the sanctity of the Constitution.”

Delivering the Constitution Day Lecture, Professor Gandhi remarked: “The Preamble of the Indian Constitution is philosophically and politically optimistic and unique. It makes us authors, owners and receivers of this book of books. We, the People of India… it is written in English but the translation in non-English languages tells us who we are: Vayam Bharatasya Jana. This makes us feel the power of India’s collective spirit. It was said the Constitution of India has been made by the honest for the innocent and by the idealistic for the aspirational. With the gift of the Constitution came four others: the national flag, the national anthem, the national motto — Satyamev Jayate — and the emblem. Truth alone triumphs as a national motto is flawless as it does not look at any personal right or wrong or individuals.”

“The Constitution of India is a great treasure which has enriched us Indians. It is to be noted that the Constitution imagined things far in the future,” he added.

Speaking on the occasions, Prof. (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of JGU, said, “It has been the aspiration of the Founding Chancellor of JGU, Mr. Naveen Jindal, to bring about wider knowledge, learning and awareness about the Indian Constitution and it was his inspiration that led to the creation of the Constitution Museum and the Rights & Freedom Academy. The museum aims to encourage young people in India, who will embark on a journey of future leadership. The Constitution of India is a beacon of knowledge and an established path which governs our country. We need to democratise access to information about the Constitution to the young people of India. We need to ensure that every citizen of India, should have the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution Museum pays tribute to those extraordinary individuals who were involved in the making of the Constitution. It is our endeavour to pay tribute to all members of the Constituent Assembly who were associated with the making of this historical document and who along with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar gave India this great Constitution and allows us to salute their contribution to nation-building. The making of our Constitution also involved 15 outstanding women politicians and freedom fighters and through the museum we remember and revere their impact. A special statue in the Constitution Gardens has been designed and created to especially mark the contribution of the women members of the Constituent Assembly. The museum also helps us to delve in some of the most fundamental ideas embedded in the Indian Constitution. The first Constitution Museum will help in raising civic awareness amongst our students, the youth and the general public in India.

“As we mark the 15th anniversary of our university, we recognised that it coincided with India’s 75th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Constitution and embarked on a journey to build India’s first Constitution Museum. It is to be noted that there is a deep aspiration to take the idea of the Constitution Museum across India and a need for ordinary Indians to be connected to it and to democratise access to the Constitution. The museum is a destination for understanding the Constitution, with various sections dedicated to each part of the document and its significance. Every Constituent Assembly member has been featured in the museum alongside spirited debates and deliberations that refined and created a robust manuscript ahead of its time. Through many formats, the museum ignites visitors’ interest in the Constitution, its evolution and its various sections.”

The first-of-its-kind Constitution Museum & the Rights and Freedoms Academy is an ambitious project that has never been envisaged by any higher educational institution. Grand in scope and deep in its knowledge, aspiring and inspirational, the Constitution Museum & the Rights and Freedoms Academy will be a living and pulsating testament to our singular governance structure which has instilled India with glory and triumph in its foundational principles. The unique academy was built as a modern and contemporary museum as a testament to the Constitution of India.

The art featured in the museum is a major attraction and includes examples that were part of the handcrafted document of the original Constitution itself. The Constitution Museum & the Rights and Freedoms Academy houses an archive of expert interviews that delves into various aspects of the Constitution, particularly the evolution of fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens of India. A Children’s Corner, with its interactive installations, quizzing stations, graphic pamphlets and novels shall introduce these complex concepts in a fun, experiential and accessible manner. The Constitution Museum & the Rights and Freedoms Academy is not merely an endeavour to document Constitutional heritage but one that also contributes to it. On this 75th Constitution Day, it honours the legacy of those who crafted this remarkable document and ensures that it remains a vibrant guide for future generations.

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