Constitution's judicious use will guide progress' direction: Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said on Thursday said India's constitution was the instrument for country's social, economic and political progress and its judicious use will determine the speed and direction of country's progress.

In her remarks during the special sitting of the house to discuss "Commitment to the Constitution" as a part of 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, considered the chief architect of the constitution, she said that consensus has a lot of importance in democracy.

"For this, the elected representatives have to work together to find solution to problems of people by talking to each other," she said.

Mahajan also noted that the constitution had met challenges of time during the past 65 years.

"The principles and values established by the Constitution are life-breath of our vibrant democracy," she said.

"Our constitution is such an instrument of our social, economic and political progress whose judicious use will determine the speed, condition and direction of country's progress," she said.

The speaker also stressed that the constitution was flexible to adapt to needs of time but was unchangeable in its basic nature.

"While giving attention to fundamental rights, the constitution provides for equal rights and opportunities to all citizens," she said, adding individual rights were as important as the interest of the community.

"Our parliamentary democracy provides for peaceful co-existence and progress of all communities without reference to caste, sect, religion and language," she said.

She said federal nature of polity had been further strengthened by presence of regional and state parties.