New Delhi: In 2010, when India observed the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, Narendra Modi, then serving as Gujarat Chief Minister, led the ‘Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra’ as a tribute to the Constituent Assembly.
The Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, and came into force on January 26, 1950.
As Chief Minister, Narendra Modi organised a large procession in Surendranagar, where a replica of the Constitution was placed atop a decorated elephant and taken through the streets.
He has since noted that this tribute stood out because the 60th anniversary had not received significant national recognition from the then-Central government.
“To honour the Constitution, a giant replica was placed in a specially designed howdah atop a decorated elephant. Narendra Modi, alongside state ministers, dignitaries and an estimated 15,000 people, walked alongside the elephant, leading the procession with deep respect for the Constitution,” the Modi Archive wrote in a post on X.
The procession drew from a historical tradition dating back to the era of King Siddharaj in Patan, when a Sanskrit grammar treatise written by Acharya Hemachandra was carried through the streets on an elephant.
Narendra Modi’s yatra, echoing that legacy, aimed to elevate the Constitution’s stature in the public consciousness, the Modi Archive stated.
“The Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra, just like the Samvidhan Diwas we celebrate today, was not merely a ceremonial event; it was a call to action. Modi’s aim was clear: to raise awareness of the Constitution’s immense significance, educate citizens about its core values, and reaffirm the nation’s commitment to the principles it embodies,” the post added.
Since 2015, the Central government has officially marked November 26 as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas) to promote constitutional values among citizens.
This year, the nation is commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption, with events across the country, including a mass reading of the Preamble.
(IANS)
