BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the purpose of the Constitution—freedom, equality, and freedom—has not been realised even 79 years after independence.
“With some vested interest not allowing the eradication of the caste system, we are unable to serve the purpose of the Constitution,” he said while speaking at the programme organised to celebrate Constitution Day.
“Our society is unique. In such circumstances, it was possible only for Dr BR Ambedkar to write the Constitution. But many do not accept this and allege that Ambedkar’s role is less and others have a bigger role in framing the Constitution. This is not correct.
There were six members in the Constitution Draft Committee, while two of them were unwell and two were not in Delhi. The responsibility was more on Dr Ambedkar. No other person could have understood caste-based society like him,” Siddaramaiah said.
Further, the CM said that before independence, there was an unwritten constitution called Manusmriti. “Manuvadis do not accept Dr Ambedkar as the Father of the Indian Constitution. You have to identify such people in the society,” he said.
“BJP members say reservation should have been abolished after 10 years. Does it mean we got equality in 10 years? We have not achieved equality even after 79 years,” the CM added.
Siddaramaiah also said the caste system has become stagnant. “It will have some movement only if the poor and Dalits are socially and economically empowered. We have not achieved it, as casteism still exists. We have got political freedom, but not social and economical freedom,” he said.
“I am happy I initiated Anna Bhagya so that the poor will get to eat, and they should not stand in front of anybody. With this, the constitution’s purpose is served to some extent,” he said, adding that the purpose of his government’s guarantee schemes is to empower people economically.