We, the constitution

Students in attendance at one of the workshops organised by ‘Samvidhana Odu’. What started out as a personal project has now taken on the contours of a social movement.

The late Vittal Bhandari, a cultural activist and intellectual, reading a copy of the Samvidhana Odu

In an auditorium in Bengaluru, hundreds of college students are gathered, intently watching a presentation. The interactive session that follows sees question after question from eager audience members. A lively debate extends the 20-minute-long session to two hours. The topic holding the youth in the rapt attention?

The Constitution of India.

This has been a common occurrence at the workshops organised by ‘Samvidhana Odu’, an initiative aimed at making the Constitution more accessible to young people and rural communities, as well as the general public.

The workshops are led by retired Karnataka High Court Judge, Justice H N Nagamohan Das, along with a team of academics and legal professionals from the state. In a span of two years, they have held workshops in every district in the state of Karnataka.

The initiative began as a plan to create a resource on the Constitution of India. Justice Das elaborated, “It all started in 2018, when a dear friend of mine, the late Vittal Bhandari, sowed the seed for this idea in my mind. He believed a small book about the Constitution written in simple language would go a long way in capturing the interest of the younger generation.”

The book, written by Justice Das in Kannada, contains a simplified introduction to the drafting of the Constitution, its various sections, and several legal and political terms.

The team had decided to start small, by printing two thousand copies for the first edition. However, within five hours, the books were completely sold out.

“For the inauguration, we had invited teachers from various educational institutions and expected a maximum of 200 people. On that day, close to 800 teachers arrived,” said Vimala K S, Convener of Samidhana Odu and State Joint Secretary of Samudaya, a cultural organisation that helped spearhead the initiative.

“We hoped to sell a few hundred copies, but by afternoon, we were sold out and saw that the demand was so much greater than we anticipated. Many wanted to buy the book in bulk and distribute it in their colleges and villages. We had underestimated our Constitution.”

Subsequently, over one lakh Kannada books have been printed and sold. In the months that followed, volunteers stepped forward to translate the booklet into English, Hindi, Marathi, and Malayalam. A few students have also come together to share snippets of the book in audio format on social media, garnering a wider reach online.

From print to presentations

As the book was being put together, it became evident that more than just providing information, the greater need of the hour was to equip people to read and understand the Constitution. “We had only planned to write and release this booklet. We planned a few workshops to promote it in some districts. However, the interest it generated was so great and the impact so evident, that I stepped down from my role as Special Counsel to the Supreme Court in order to fully devote my time to this initiative,” said Justice Das.

The workshops draw large crowds, consisting primarily of college students from various fields including medicine, engineering, agriculture and law. For Anantha Nayak N, Advocate and Convener of Manava Bandhutva Vedike, seeing young people get involved beyond the workshops has been an encouraging result. “The youth in rural areas have shown great interest, not just in gaining the knowledge about the Constitution, but also in taking it further.”

“Until now, I only read briefly about this subject in my textbooks. The Samvidhaana Odu book and workshop instilled a sense of pride in me and my friends when it came to the Constitution,” said Dileep Shetty (23), an LLB student at the V V Puram College of Law. “I really liked how the workshop brought different perspectives to us, with a focus on history. In addition, we also learnt methods to share this knowledge to other students.”

Young people in Bidar, Belagavi, Kolar, and other districts have begun to write, research, discuss and organise lectures on the subject. Going beyond just the subject matter of the book, the students have begun highlighting human rights, democracy, and freedom of speech in their local rural communities.

“Earlier people were scared away by the Constitution and all the talk of sections and amendments in legal language. However, considering its relevance to each and every citizen, it is heartening to see that it has become part of all our lives,” Anantha added.

This is also true for a range of communities beyond students and youth. Through collaboration with women’s rights organisations, the workshops have reached thousands of rural women. “We introduce concepts such as equal opportunity and the right to livelihood in an easy, simple manner. Knowing that their rights and equality have been enshrined in the Constitution itself gives these women great confidence,” shared Vimala.

Samvidhana Odu has seen active participation and requests for workshops from trade unions, farmers’ unions, human rights organisations. The team has also conducted training for advocates, police officers, home guards, and other government officials. Several MLAs have also distributed the book in their district.

Widely distributed

Interestingly, this introduction to the Constitution has become a popular return gift at celebrations. “Understanding constitutional values is the need of the hour. We need to take this knowledge to the rural masses,” emphasised Shivashankar S Yadrami, a High Court Advocate who recently gave out one thousand copies to guests at his son’s wedding.

“Earlier, younger people used to mechanically study the Constitution in order to get passing marks in college. However, now they have a sense of wonder, once they learn about the rich history behind our Constitution and the protections which it enshrines.”

Yadrami attributes this sparked interest to the honest discussions fostered by the book and workshops. Topics discussed include reservation, secularism, scientific temper, and the protection of these values. “Samvidhaana Odu has created a safe space to ask and answer sensitive questions about the very Afoundation of our nation. Youngsters have begun to ask thoughtful questions, as they learn how to examine and analyse present-day governance. It has become a movement. It started in Karnataka, it is now spreading to other Southern states, and I hope it grows nationwide.”

The initiative has especially been praised for its accessibility, even to people without a formal education. “Whether students, advocates or farmers, everyone is able to grasp the values, rights, and duties outlined in the Constitution when it is explained so clearly,” explains H R Naveen Kumar, the Hassan District President of the Karnataka Pranta Raita Sangha. “The next step is to use art and storytelling to share this information to widen the reach even further. Songs, poetry, dance forms like yakshagana — through these we can connect with all, regardless of literacy.”

The Samvidhana Odu initiative is powered by the conviction that knowledge of constitutional values is essential for everyone, as it empowers citizens and develops a rational approach towards governance. Highlighting that a sense of ownership comes from learning about the evolution, impact, and essence of the constitution, Naveen adds, “As citizens, we need to know about and protect the Constitution that protects us. Every single person must know their duties and rights. Only then we can stand up, demand, and defend them.”

Note: (They have continued to have the workshops during the pandemic, via Zoom.

(Since the lockdown began in March 2020, the workshops are being conducted online, drawing participation from across the state)