#ReclaimConstitution, a collective working to enhance knowledge about the Indian Constitution among citizens, showcased and distributed prints of the preamble to people visiting an exhibition in the national capital on Monday.
Organisation member Vinay Kumar was seen printing copies of the preamble at the venue as people across all age groups gathered to get hold of one.
Kumar told ThePrint that the initiative was driven by a group of lawyers, doctors and scientists who are trying to build a “constitutional culture” among people. “The Constitution is the baby of our freedom struggle. So we are trying to tell people the stories of its making,” Kumar said.
The exhibition at the India Habitat Centre also stemmed from the Constitution theme as art works on display were inspired by motifs painted on the document. The presentation was part of Hamari Virasat, an initiative of the Hand For Handmade Foundation, in which 75 artists from across India were showcasing their art.
Kumar said artists had focused on the artworks adorning different chapters of the Constitution, signifying the 4,000-year history of the land, “even before it was called India”.
He added that the group also centred on highlighting the debates that went around during the making of the Constitution.
“We are here doing a ‘Print Your Preamble’ campaign so that people print their own preamble and carry a piece of it with them to understand what it really means,” Kumar said.
‘Har Dil Mai Samvidhan’
Anand Deo, senior manager of Hand for Handmade said the exhibition was part of a campaign called Har Dil Mai Samvidhan. “We invited 75 artists from across India and we asked them to make 1 sq metre of artwork while taking reference from the preamble. If you combine these artworks, it is 75 metres long. We have tried to make it symbolic, keeping in mind one inspiration — to celebrate the Constitution,” Deo told ThePrint.
Some of the artworks included zardozi, warli, crochet, patchwork, madhubani, johargram and more. “You will find an elephant, Nandi, tiger, peacocks, horse and then you will find the lotus and tribal motifs in the Preamble. Every art form here has some (connection) to the Constitution,” said Deo.
Famous artist and pedagogue from Shantiniketan Nandalal Bose and his team were tasked with illustrating the document, which is the lengthiest written Constitution in the world. While the document was handwritten by calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada, the paintings were conceived by Bose.
In sequence, they narrate the story of different periods in Indian history, from the Indus Valley Civilisation to the freedom struggle, also including scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The National Foundation of India (NFI), which has organised the exhibition, has also highlighted the link between India’s Constitution and women’s contribution.
“Many of these artworks are made by women and we aim to spark dialogue around the importance of this sector both for women’s empowerment and employment as well as for nation-building,” said Shibani Dasgupta Jain, founder of “Hand for Handmade Foundation”.
Supreme Court lawyer Pranay Maheshwari visited the exhibition Monday to grab his copy of the preamble. He said as a lawyer, he interprets, writes and talks about the Constitution on a daily basis. “And, it still feels surreal,” he said.
“With so much propaganda, communalism and disharmony in the society, it’s important that we read the preamble. It defines the idea of India and the struggles that the freedom fighters went through every minute for this country,” he said.
(Edited By Tikli Basu)
Also read: ‘Samvidhaan’: Shyam Benegal’s show that told young India what went into drafting constitution