Jairam Ramesh on Saturday looked back at a defining day in India’s constitutional journey, recalling how, 76 years ago, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally signed the Constitution of India.
In a post on X, the Congress general secretary said the document, adopted earlier on November 26, 1949, went on to become a charter for socio-economic transformation.
He also revisited the details surrounding the signing, from the artistry involved to the people behind its visual and written form.
“76 years ago today, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally affixed their signatures to the Constitution of India that they had earlier adopted on November 26, 1949. They signed three copies -- two of which were handwritten in English and Hindi and carried 22 illustrations by artists from Shantiniketan, led by none other than Nandalal Bose himself,” Ramesh said.
He noted the individuals responsible for the calligraphy of the two handwritten versions. “The beautiful calligraphy in English was by Prem Behari Narayan Raizada, and the one in Hindi was by Vasant K Vaidya,” he said.
Ramesh also highlighted the effort that went into designing the national emblem featured on the first page of the Constitution.
“The first page of these handwritten Constitutions had the national symbol that was designed by Dinanath Bhargava, who had spent a few months visiting the Kolkata Zoo at Nandalal Bose's insistence so as to ensure that the lions in the emblem looked exactly like the real lions,” the Congress leader said.
Beyond its constitutional role, Ramesh pointed to the artistic value of the illustrated copies.
“Quite apart from the fact that it is a charter for profound socio-economic transformation, the Lalit Kala Akademi set up in August 1954 has described the illustrated Constitution as 'a seminal art treatise' that navigates India's multi-layered history and celebrates the threads of unity in diversity,” he said.
He ended by recalling a moment that brought the members together at the close of the day. “That very day, the members sat together for a group photograph. It is one for the ages,” Ramesh added.