Page 38 - Constitution

70 Years of Indian Years of Indian

Constitution
Constitution

changing needs. At the same time, judicial interpretation controls, price controls, and even the excesses of the
has held that the right of Parliament to amend does not Emergency.
extend to the right to change the basic structure of the Today, we also have a list of Fundamental Duties of

Constitution. As long as that view holds, our Fundamental citizens, which is as it should be. In my view, an important
rights remain safeguarded. That being said, eternal duty that is missing from the list is the duty of citizens to
vigilance is indeed the price of liberty and informed public ensure by all peaceful means, that our great Constitution
debate is a must. It is disturbing for example to realise is followed in spirit as well as in letter. Nowhere is
that whereas the Ninth Schedule originally housed that spirit better captured than in the Preamble of the
only 13 laws enabling land reform, it now protects 282 Constitution that we, the citizens of India chose to give
extraconstitutional laws enabling nationalization, currency unto ourselves.

Shri Anand Mahindra, a Padma Bhushan awardee, is a
businessman and the Chairman of Mahindra Group, a Mumbai-
based business conglomerate.

38 70 Years of Indian Constitution