A Valentine’s Day tribute to the Constitution: Citizens send postcards to judge

In a unique campaign, citizens nationwide are showing their love for the Constitution on February 14 by sending postcards to Justice Victoria Gowri, the recently appointed additional judge at the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about Article 219 of the Constitution, which prescribes the oath judges of high courts must take, asking them to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India.

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The postcards, designed by the Reclaim Constitution project, carry an excerpt of T T Krishnamachari’s speech made during the constituent assembly debate on Article 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion) on December 6, 1948.

Vinay Kumar, the man behind this initiative, believes that the Constitution is like an umbilical cord. “With most freedom fighters passing away, there is no other living link to the freedom struggle and the birth of our country besides the Constitution,” he told DH.

The idea was to infuse these artworks with the messages that emerged from the constituent assembly debates. “Postcards have a personal touch that no video or social media post can give. Excerpts from the debates can inspire people to learn about constitutional values and try to uphold them in this current political situation that is eroding them,” he said.

Kumar believes that it is relevant to remind people to pledge allegiance to the Constitution and preserve its sanctity. “Through this campaign, we wanted to show that love can conquer hate because something had to be done to remind people to respect all communities regardless of religion,” he said.

To check all 22 designs, visit reclaimconstitution.in.