Parliament Derives Its Sanctity from the People, Not Above Them, Declares Vice-President Dhankhar
New Delhi, April 22, 2025 — In a resonant reaffirmation of India’s constitutional spirit, the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, asserted on Monday that Parliament holds primacy within the constitutional framework—but only as a reflection of the people’s will, not as a sovereign entity above them. Speaking at ‘Kartavyam’, a landmark event at the University of Delhi commemorating 75 years of the Indian Constitution, the Vice-President delivered a wide-ranging address extolling participatory democracy, expressive freedoms, and civic responsibility.
“Democracy’s soul resides in every citizen,” Shri Dhankhar emphasized, rejecting the reduction of constitutional offices to mere ceremonial appendages. “I find it inconceivably puzzling that some regard these roles as ornamental. Every constitutional functionary, like every citizen, is integral to the pulsating heartbeat of our democracy.”
As Chancellor of the University, Shri Dhankhar declared: “There is no provision in the Constitution that visualizes an entity superior to Parliament. Yet, Parliament itself is not an island of authority—it derives its gravity from ‘We, the People’.” Referring metaphorically to citizens as “atoms of democracy imbued with atomic power,” he underlined the electorate’s role as the bedrock of democratic legitimacy.
Revisiting the moral and philosophical undercurrents of the Constitution, the Vice-President invoked the Preamble as the Constitution’s “nectar” and “essence,” reiterating that ultimate sovereignty rests with the people. “It was the people who dethroned autocracy post-Emergency in 1977—proof that electoral power is the constitutional checkmate to overreach.”
Shifting the lens to civic participation, he remarked, “Democracy isn’t government alone; it is culture, it is conduct, it is collective conscience. The government may provide the stadium, but it is the citizens who must score the goals.”
In a particularly poignant segment, Shri Dhankhar lamented the degradation of public discourse: “Is our national conversation compromised by financial hegemonies, muscle power, or extraterritorial influences? We must cultivate discernment.” He urged the youth to rise above partisan binaries and engage in thoughtful, idea-driven dialogue.
Reflecting on India’s civilizational heritage, the Vice-President drew from Vedic philosophy: “Our ancestors practiced ‘Anantavad’—the doctrine of infinite perspectives. Debate was not divisive but illuminating. Vaad-vivaad was a discipline of humility, where egotism was dissolved in the crucible of reasoned argument.”
He warned against both censorship and arrogance in free speech: “Expression untempered by empathy becomes tyranny. Dialogue thrives only when we respect dissent and are prepared to be intellectually challenged.”
Concluding with a call to moral courage, Shri Dhankhar declared, “If you falter in speaking the right truth at the right time to the right audience, you not only weaken your resolve—you wound the nation’s positive forces.”
The Vice-President’s oration was attended by University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh, Dean Prof. Balaram Pani, and other dignitaries, offering students and faculty an evocative meditation on democratic integrity and civic enlightenment.
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