The Question of Integrity

“Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realise that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top‑dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.” – Dr. B R Ambedkar

Oh! My dear countrymen,

What comes first?

A Religion, caste, language, gender?

Or our beloved nation?

Unity in diversity,

Was once our identity,

Did we just grow, or what has changed?

we have forgotten this idea.

Dystopia is not far,

We are living in it,

We have sold ourselves in the envy of others,

We forgot our right to breathe,

Our right to live.

Have we failed as citizens?

Have we failed to protect the nation?

We are bloodthirsty of distinctive identities/ideologies other than ours,

That we lost the sense of self, sense to reason.

We vow to be patriots,

We vow to be nationalist,

We say we love our country,

Yet, we haven’t even read our constitution.

Why are we still a developing country?

Still struggling with basic amenities,

Food, cloth, shelter, rights,

Ask yourself…

Are these really fulfilled?

Is religion the solution?

Or are you waiting for a miracle to happen?

When will we realize.

The Constitution of India...

Has answers to our problems.

The Constitution is sequentially beautiful,

It begins with the union,

Not the union of states, but the union of people,

As the preamble begins with ‘We the people’

Democracy is not run by religion,

It is run by the people,

Why would the constitution,

Begin the chapters with India, that is Bharat?

It doesn’t just define India,

It defines every citizen,

Not just the fundamental rights,

But gives protection through directive principles.

If once we had read the fundamental duties,

We would know what it means to be citizen,

We would stop complaining about others,

And would acknowledge our own actions.

Before questioning the integrity of others,

Question yourself,

You will start to hate,

Of what you have become.

Read the constitution,

Understand its purpose,

Constitution gives us the power,

To hold the culprits accountable.

We are not far from dystopian society,

There is still hope for revolution.

Before being a patriot, nationalist, or belonging to any identity.

Be firstly an Indian citizen.

Happy Constitution Day!

Honestly, I am concerned, concerned about the priorities we have. We haven’t even resolved or fought for basic needs, yet we fight over every ideology, community, caste, religion, and language around us. Let me ask you a clear question: if you see your religious book or the national flag fallen on the floor, what would you pick first? You will find the answer to what you are fighting for. It is not just religion; it is caste, language, region, gender; we own every identity, but we are not Indians. We are only Indian when there is conflict or comparison with neighbouring countries.

When I was a child, in schools we were asked to write essays on “Unity in Diversity.” We were also told that children are the future of the nation. Ask yourself: does that unity in diversity still apply? Did we become the future we were supposed to be? I assume it is still the same scenario. Today too, children must be asked to write the same essay, because children are still the future. Our nation’s development is not focused on what is necessary, but it is focused on the superficial idea of our identities.

Education has always been the tool for development, but are we getting the right education? Why do we clean our houses but litter everywhere else? What ego do we carry to break rules in public? What did we even learn in history and civics textbooks? We are completely unaware of what The Constitution of India is and what powers it gives. The Constitution is not written for politicians, governments, or civic authorities. It is written for the people. It is the handbook of society. It is a picture of how a nation should work.

I understand the Constitution is vast. How can one even comprehend so much information? But do we even understand what our Fundamental Rights and Duties are? How would someone even respect other cultures, castes, genders, or any identity? How would one even understand Fundamental Rights when one doesn’t even know what it means to be a citizen? I really feel that before going through any chapter, one needs to read and understand the Fundamental Duties thoroughly, then proceed with the Fundamental Rights, and then other chapters. One needs to learn to be a citizen first.

I really feel bad. I used to think that poverty, corruption, terrorism, and casteism were the major problems in society, but today food, water, and air, every basic necessity, is compromised. What is even healthy around us? And what led us to this situation? Why do people have to come out to protest? Why is there a blurred line between what is right and wrong? We benefit from the Constitution, yet we misuse it, and it’s a shame that we do not acknowledge it.