Constitution Exhibition in Kannur Draws School Students and Visitors

Beyond the textbook: Why an exhibition on Constitution in Keralam is drawing young minds

A Constitution exhibition recently inaugurated at Centenary Park in Kannur is drawing large numbers of school students, while also bringing lawyers and visitors from different sections of society into conversations about India’s constitutional history.

Located near the Thalassery District and Sessions Court, the exhibition is part of the 15th State Conference of All India Lawyers Union. It presents the Constitution as something to see, explore and question, rather than as a subject limited to textbooks and classrooms.

Tracing the making of the Constitution

Spread across around 120 slides, the exhibition traces the making and evolution of India’s Constitution, the contributions of national leaders and lesser-known personalities, Fundamental Rights and Duties, important constitutional provisions and landmark Supreme Court judgments.

The displays cover the early years of the Constitution through 2026, giving visitors a broad view of how constitutional principles and their interpretation have developed over time. Lawyers and students are explaining the displays to visitors, creating opportunities for questions and discussion around the material.

The exhibition begins with British rule and the freedom struggle. It explains how the demand for a Constitution emerged even before Independence and uses around 20 opening slides to trace the formation of the Constituent Assembly and the stages through which the Constitution was framed.

This approach is intended to help young visitors understand that the Constitution was the product of a long historical and political process. The exhibition therefore places the final document within the wider developments that led to its framing.

Bringing lesser-known contributors into focus

Alongside familiar figures such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the exhibition highlights members of the Drafting Committee and personalities whose roles are less widely known.

Special attention has been given to Keralam’s contribution to Constitution-making. The exhibition also highlights the 15 women who participated in the Constitution-making process, presenting their contribution as part of the wider story of how India’s constitutional framework was shaped.

Among them are Keralite women Ammu Swaminathan, Annie Mascarene and Dakshayani Velayudhan. Dakshayani Velayudhan is highlighted as the only Dalit woman from Kerala who was part of the Constitution-making process.

The focus on these contributors expands the story beyond the most familiar names associated with the Constitution. It draws attention to the range of people who participated in the process and to the place of women and lesser-known personalities in that history.

Thalassery’s constitutional connection

The exhibition links the history of the Constitution to the region where it is being held by highlighting Thalassery’s connection with constitutional history. This includes the contribution of lawyer P. Kunhiraman and his association with the wording concerning an offence being “punishable by law” in Article 17.

The displays also explain Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and other significant Articles. Visitors are taken through landmark judgments of the Supreme Court of India, extending the exhibition from the making of the Constitution to the way its provisions have been considered in court.

A. Viswan, district president of the All India Lawyers Union, said lawyer Kunhiraman’s contribution was important for the Thalassery region. He said the exhibition helps establish that the area has a place in constitutional history.

A focus on constitutional literacy

A.N. Shamseer, chairman of the organising committee and former Keralam Assembly Speaker, said the exhibition was conceived to strengthen constitutional literacy at a time when understanding and protecting the Constitution had become particularly important.

“Constitutional literacy is essential today. The exhibition is also a form of protest: the message is that the Constitution must be protected,” he told The Hindu.

The response from students has been one of the notable aspects of the exhibition, according to Mr. Viswan. He said large numbers of school students were visiting the exhibition.

Mr. Viswan said the growing public participation represented a kind of slow movement towards greater engagement with and understanding of the Constitution. He also described the initiative as an attempt to ensure that the conference contributes something to society beyond organisational discussions.

The exhibition will continue till October 11, alongside other programmes connected with the State conference, including cultural events. As part of the conference, delegates will also take a collective pledge to protect the Constitution on October 10.

Source: The Hindu