Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
On Republic Day this year, 38-year-old Vinay Kumar, an aerospace engineer from Bangalore, was seen distributing postcards, with excerpts from debates from the late 1940s when the Constitution of India was being drafted, in the city.
In an attempt to remind citizens of the tenets of justice, equality, and liberty that were envisioned for this independent nation, Kumar started the #ReclaimConstitution initiative with 23 printed postcards.
While Kumar wanted to kickstart the initiative after the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protests of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic put this on hold.
It was finally in 2023 that his plan came to fruition with Kumar distributing the postcards near the Constitution Circle in Yeshwanthpur at 11 am, alongside a Preamble reading event, after which he distributed the same at Church Street.
But What Do These Postcards Say?
Some excerpts from the 23 postcards read:
“Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”Dr BR Ambedkar, 25 November 1949.
"No language can be imposed upon an unwilling people. No nation has ever succeeded in imposing the language of the majority upon the minority."PT Chacko, 13 September 1949.
Continuing the unique campaign, citizens from all over the country, on 14 February, sent postcards to Justice Victoria Gowri, the recently appointed additional judge at the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench.
The postcards sent to Justice Gowri carried an excerpt of TT Krishnamachari’s speech made during the constituent assembly debate on Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) on 6 December 1948.
Postcard addressed to Justice Victoria Gowri.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Postcard addressed to Justice Victoria Gowri.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
On 27 February, the project put up a game for students at Bangalore International Centre with the objective of matching the postcards with another set of cards carrying current day headlines in order to demonstrate the "India we have become".
Kumar said, "The hope is that it will sensitise people to the erosion of constitutional values we are witnessing today."
Reclaim the Constitution game at Bangalore International Centre.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Reclaim the Constitution game at Bangalore International Centre.
(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
Speaking to The Quint, Kumar said, "The situation today asks each of us Indians to revisit the past, reclaim the Constitution, and realise what a truly great republic we stand to lose if we choose to remain silent."
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