Constitutional democracy binds India's citizens, VP says on integration

Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday emphasized that while political integration united India's territories, it was constitutional democracy that truly bound its citizens together as a unified nation.

Addressing the connection between India's freedom struggle and its subsequent consolidation, Radhakrishnan acknowledged the transformative contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose, who played pivotal roles in the independence movement.

He particularly highlighted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's instrumental role in integrating the princely states with independent India, a process that proved crucial to forging the modern Indian nation-state.

The Vice-President's remarks underscore the multifaceted nature of India's nation-building process, which encompassed both the territorial unification achieved through political integration and the institutional framework provided by constitutional democracy that sustains the country's diversity.