Rights, duties are two sides of same coin: President's message on Constitution Day

President Ram Nath Kovind said on Tuesday that rights and duties are two sides of the same coin and asserted there is a need to fulfil duties in a manner that rights get protected.

Addressing the joint sitting of two houses of Parliament in central hall to mark 70th anniversary of the adoption of Constitution Day, he said the Constitution forms the basis of the largest democracy in the world.

He said that India's practice of democracy is hailed all over the world and 78 women getting elected to the 17th Lok Sabha was "proud achievement" for democracy.

The President said that drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly, under the chairmanship of Bhimrao Ambedkar, displayed unparalleled prudence, honesty, grit and diligence and gave final shape to the Constitution.

"While delivering his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, Dr Ambedkar had said that the success of the Constitution would depend upon the conduct of the people of India and the political parties," the President said.

He said Ambedkar while underlining the importance of 'Constitutional Morality', emphasised that the essence of 'Constitutional Morality' was to regard the Constitution as supreme and to follow the constitutionally mandated procedures regardless of any ideological differences.

"The rights and duties are two sides of the same coin," he said.

He said makers of Constitution had with complete devotion and honesty, envisioned to serve and work conscientiously while remaining free from fear or favour, affection or ill-will and bias.

"They would have been confident that their future generations, that is, all of us, will adopt these values with the same spontaneity and integrity, as they, themselves, did. I think we all need to introspect and reflect upon this," the President said.

He said people of the country deserve to be complimented for the value and respect that the Indian Constitution has earned over the last 70 years

The President said that the election of 78 women members to 17th Lok Sabha, being the highest number of women members ever elected to this house, was a glorious achievement for our democracy.

"Today, all the members of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Empowerment of Women are women. This signifies an important social and political change reflective of a bright future," he said.

The Constitution, he said, was the supreme law in the country's democratic framework and "it continuously guides us in our endeavours".

"The 'Constitution of India' lies at the foundation of the world's largest democracy," he said.

The President said all three organs of the state, persons gracing the constitutional posts, members of the civil society and common citizens of India are expected to abide by 'constitutional morality.

Kovind said it was in 2015, the 125th birth anniversary year of Bhimrao Ambedkar that the central government India decided to celebrate Nov 26, as 'Constitution Day' every year.

"This is a commendable initiative to reiterate our gratitude to the chief architect of our Constitution," he said.