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The Preamble to the Constitution of
India runs as follows :-
WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA having solemnly
resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic
Republic and to secure to all its citzens : Justice,
social, economic and political: liberty of thought,
expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status
and of opportunity; and to promote among them all Fraternity
assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity
of the Nation : In Our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth
day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt enact and give
to our selves this constitution. The Preamble to our
Constitution serves to indicate the source from which
the Constitution derives its authority and states the
objects the Constitution seeks to establish and promote.
Among other objects the Constitution seeks to fulfill,
one's attention is drawn to Fraternity, Secularism and
Equality. Freemasonry if studied carefully and truly
practised will serve to achieve these laudable objects
of the Constitution.
By Fraternity, it is the spirit of
brotherhood that the Preamble of our Constitution refers
to. India is composed of people of so many races, religions,
languages and cultures. The unity of its people can
only be attained if there is a sense of brotherhood
among them. Article 1 of the Declaration of Human Rights
as adopted by the United Nations lays down - "All
human beings are born free and equal in dignity and
rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience
and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
Freemasonry teaches its adherents to believe in the
Father-hood of God and Brotherhood of Man. It is this
basic principle on which Freemasonry is founded and
despite the fact that we practice different religious,
speak different languages, wear clothes in a multiplicity
of styles yet Free masons are one because we as Freemasons
think and feel as a single unit being members of this
great Fraternity. In this way we help in the unification
of the country. The Freemasons are well fitted by their
training in the principles and tenets of the Craft to
take a determined stand against anything which may lead
to disintegration National intergration is more of a
moral than a political or social issue. Masonry creates
good understanding and moral standards which cannot
be achieved by enactments of laws or by the promulgation
of ordinances. It therefore follows that the teachings
of Freemasonry substantially fulfills the underlying
motives and objects sought to be achieved by the Constitution
of India and the mischief the Constitution is intended
to redress.
The Constitution of India guarantees
that no person of a particular religion shall be treated
unfavourably by the state when compared with persons
of other religions. It further guarantees free exercise
of religion. In other words India is a secular state.
A secular state therefore means a state which has no
religion of its own as opposed to theocratic states
and such a state refrains from discriminating on grounds
of religion. Similarly, Freemasonry is a secular institution
and fully satisfies in this repect the requirement of
the Constitution of India. One of the qualifications
for joining the Craft is a belief in God and it did
not matter to what religion the candidate belonged.
Under the Grand Lodge of India it is significant to
note that the scriptures of all religions practised
in India is placed on the alter to show that Masonry
is a secular institution. Here again Freemasonry fulfills
another requirement of the Constitution.
If the high ethical principles for
which Masonry stands is practised by the Masons not
only inside the Lodge but also outside in the discharge
of private and public avocations some of the objects
the Constitution of India seeks to promote can be achieved
by the efforts of Freemasons. There can be no doubt
that Freemasonry can have a beneficial and lasting effect
upon the body politic of this country as it propagates
some of the Principles enshrined in the Constitution
of India. India is a democracy. In its from of Government
supreme power is vested in the people collectively and
the country is administered by the chosen representatives
of the people. One of the directive principles of the
Constitution is for the state to secure a social order
for the welfare of the people. The Constitution aims
at equality. Here again the principles of masonry and
the laws of our institution can play a noteble role.
Freemasons believe in complete equality and it is said
that we are all on the level. The principles of democracy
can be more easily understood by the instructed than
by the uninstructed and outside world. By training Masons
are more prone to grasp the fundamentals of democracy
than others. In their individual capacity the Masons
can play a noble part in the administration of the country.
If, therefore, the Craft has to play its part, it is
essential that we make certain that our candidates fully
understand the teachings of the Craft. Each candidate
must be fully aware of his rights and duties. Of late
it is noticed that members are enrolled indiscriminately.
The result is that they do not grasp the significance
of masonic principles and are not able to practice them
in the exercise of their civic duties. We have to guard
against this.
While books by John Gunther, namely
Inside U.S.A. the following passage struck me as of
some importance of Freemasons;- "Another powerful
element in Iowa is Masonry. Of 108 members of the lower
house of the legislature above seventy belong to the
Masonic order, though nobody ever runs "as"
a Mason, and on seldom is a man asked directly if he
is one not. Most of the top officials of the state as
Masons. Two things explain this : (1) Masons is a kind
of badge of respectability, not only Iowa but in almost
all the Mississippi bast states: (2) A man comes up
through the local Masonic lodge, and if he shows leadership,
pushed outward to the legislature or to other public
office as a matter of course." This how Masonry
works in some of the states U.S.A. and Masons are held
in high esteem the people due to their conduct and they
see to have imbibed the true spirit of Masonry those
states of U.S.A. There are a number points of similarity
between the Constitution India and Freemasonry. The
members of the Craft can play a leading part in many
spheres in securing some of the objects the Constitution
of India seeks to establish and promote. It is however
not suggested that politices at controversies of state
policy by brought inside the Lodge. There can never
be a discussion of political issues in a Lodge. All
that is intend to be conveyed is that Freemasons are
we equipped to comprehend certain fundament or essential
nature of the Constitution of Ind and transmit the same
to others and thus please an important role in enhancing
the dignity at importance of Freemasonry in the eyes
of the common man.
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