Constitutional morality under threat

Though it is heartening to see a catena of landmark decisions in succession emanating from the Supreme Court upholding the supremacy of the constitutional morality, the conscientious citizens, at the same time, are deeply disturbed at the waning influence of the core constitutional values forming the crust of constitutional morality.

The dwindling influence and losing steam of these values forming at the edifice of the Constitution is shockingly taken over by anti-constitutional values like growing intolerance, religious bigotry, increasing communal strife, forceful thrusting of majoritarian values and ideas on minority, ascendency of obscurantism, negation of scientific temper, growing tension between the Union and State Governments, lack of civility in community life etc.

The growing incidents of hate crimes in the form of lynching of innocents on their religious identity, child rapes, communal strife, caste tensions, mob violence, increasing inequalities in the distribution of wealth etc., are indisputably clear warning signs for the dwindling influence of constitutional morality and culture.

In this backdrop, any sensible citizen would reasonably expect that the State and its functionaries must be at the forefront in promoting and upholding constitutional morality so as to enable citizens to follow and emulate them.
Unfortunately, the recent utterances and actions of certain key constitutional functionaries like Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers and Members of Parliament are audaciously questioning and negating the core constitutional values of plurality of thought, opinion and diversity of life.

Their unabashed intention to thrust popular morality of the majority on the minority at any cost in the name of defending religion would invariably push us to introspect and question ourselves the most pertinent question: Where are we leading to as a Nation? And does our Constitution have really failed us as articulated by some sections of the Government dispensation? Or have we failed the Constitution?

In fact, the motive behind these unscrupulous persons in castigating the core constitutional values is obviously to turn the clock of history back to yesteryears. This would enable to integrate their regressive and discriminatory ideas of supremacy based on religion, caste, gender, race, language, etc., into the mainstream of the Constitution at any cost for promoting a homogenous way of life , knowing ample well that constitutional morality fosters pluralism and diversity in every walk of life.

These deplorable trends are highly dangerous to the very unity, integrity and cohesion of the country for the obvious reason that they strike at the fraternity of the humankind by promoting animosities based on sectarian, parochial and fissiparous grounds.

All this ultimately poses a grave threat to the social solidarity and cohesion that are imperative for sustaining fraternity among different sections of society. Thus, it is clear that the actions and utterances of these people are directly against the egalitarian values deeply entrenched in the Constitution leading to weakening of the very idea of our dear Nation.

The Constitution has the finest and the loftiest elements to meet the needs, aspirations and desires of the present as well as future generations. But what we are truly lacking and missing is the iron will and resolve to implement the constitutional morality and culture in all spheres of our national life even after 72 years of independence.

The prophetic words of Dr BR Ambedkar still rings in our hearts and minds. He had observed that tomorrow, if this Constitution fails then it is not the fault of the Constitution but definitely the failure of people entrusted with the task of implementing the Constitution. Hence, it is not proper for anyone to blame the Constitution for the ills and problems afflicting our polity by showing our accusing fingers at the Constitution.

In spite of all this, it is very distressing to notice that we have miserably failed in injecting and imparting the spirit of constitutional values and culture into minds of our citizens. Consequently, there is all-pervasive ignorance and unawareness about the true constitutional values among citizens. How could any sensible person expect a citizen to shape, mould and carve his/her behaviour in accordance with the constitutional morality when he/she is oblivious of the same?

The entire blame for this lies on our political class as they have miserably failed to educate people on constitutional morality, apprehending such education gives them little scope to manipulate voters on emotional and irrational issues. All this has inevitably resulted in the weakening the spirit of our constitutional morality and culture.

What is the antidote?
Constitutional morality should be the guiding spirit of the governance process at every stage of administration and even slightest deviation from it should be viewed very seriously. Constitutional values should be injected and integrated into the curriculum at the school level itself to enable children to grasp and mould themselves as the upholders and keepers of constitutional morality. Responsibilities must be fixed on all the registered political parties to generate awareness about constitutional morality among voters.

The constitutional functionaries acting against the spirit of constitutional morality should be debarred from holding any constitutional office. Strict adherence to constitutional morality creates an informed and enlightened citizenry, imperative for vibrant democracy like ours for making it truly meaningful and purposeful, apart from strengthening governance process in the country.

This will inevitably act as an effective antidote against divisive tendencies and feelings of hatred and animosity propagated by certain unscrupulous sections for promoting their partisan ends. For that to take place we all need to adhere to and uphold the spirit of constitutional morality in letter as well as in spirit.

(Dr Chennupati Divakar Babu - The author is the Principal of Smt. Velagapudi Durgamba Siddhartha Law College, Vijayawada)