President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday stressed the need for remembering the contribution of freedom fighters who had drafted the Constitution, saying the "magnificient Magna Carta" could keep 125-crore people of the country in a single unit.
Speaking during an event to mark the birth centenary of freedom fighter Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Hooda, father of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the President said: "Keep in mind that the seeds of the fruits we enjoy today were sown by freedom fighters who considered it their sacred duty."
"Remembering them would help is bear in our mind that we have not obtained our freedom as a gratis from the international developments post World War 2," Mukherjee said, adding that freedom was the product of the struggle of lakhs of people.
The President said: "It was not easy to draft the Constitution, the magnificient Magna Carta of India's socio-economic transformation. Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was one of the architects of our Constitution, who took active part in its making as a member of the Constituent Assembly. He was a devoted Gandhian and a seasoned parliamentarian."
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh also attended the event. "The life of Chaudhary Singh inspires us today to form a new India and take it forward by fighting communalism and caste-ism," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Former prime minister Manmohan Singh also attended the event. "The life of Chaudhary Singh inspires us today to form a new India and take it forward by fighting communalism and caste-ism," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Communit leader Sitaram Yechury, former governor Motilal Vora, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, And Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh were present.