Preserving the Republic

Constitution must be followed in spirit, too

On January 26, 1950, India gave to itself one of the most complete, modern and liberal Constitutions in the world. Seventy years on, this country must not just celebrate that moment but rededicate itself to the observance of Constitutional principles, both in letter and spirit. The survival of India as a state, its development as a nation and its growth as an economy over the past seven decades owe a great deal to the fact that India’s Constitution emerged from broad deliberations, and the founding generation’s dedication to Constitutional methods and principles. There is little doubt, of course, that over