Dr. Rajendra Shejul,
IUC – Associate June 2019
There is no denying of the fact that India is an ancient country having ancient civilization with black line of Varna and caste-based discrimination. The society divided by Varnas based on inequality was a basic characteristic of Indian society for several centuries. Our history is multi-dimensional as there is no single religion and single culture. Many religions, many cultures, many languages and sub languages have given a unique feature to the Indian society.
In ancient Indian history one can find a vast struggle for equality in the ancient Indian society. In ancient India Varna and caste based inequality was a major cause that weakened Indian society and the ultimate result was that it lost its freedom many times to invaders as our history reveals. After independence, the makers of the Constitution of India tried to prepare a constitution which could reconcile several heterogeneous groups. For this purpose, many Articles were included in the Constitution such as Article 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25, 29, etc,. The whole edifice of the constitution was built upon the basis of liberty, equality, justice and fraternity. Fraternity is the most important core value of the Constitution. That’s why “unity in diversity” became the slogan in Indian society. We were somewhat successful in achieving this ultimate goal.
It is however, very unfortunate that after some decades of implementation of the Constitution, we are again dividing ourselves on the line of religion, caste and creed. Indian society is increasingly becoming communal and specially the middle class is getting more communalized. The national mind has been afflicted with intellectual cancer of thinking of “us” and “them”. Religious chauvinism has been triggered and so called politicians are using it for their selfish political end. They are mobilizing voters by appealing to narrow identities and seeking vote in the name of religion, caste, creed and region. They urge voters to define themselves on these lines. The result is that people are being more conscious than ever before of what would divide them, their narrow communal or caste identities. 1
Before some decade in Indian society a pious person was being marked as a person of character, but today he is being looked with suspicion. Love and generosity is being substituted by hatred and suspicion. Some renowned thinkers and writers have tried to attract our attention to this problem. Christophe Jeffrelot has observed that India is taking steps towards reinventing itself as a defacto “ethnic democracy” a term coined by the Isreali political scientist Sammy Smooha to describe the origin in his country. According to Jeffrelot, India is a secular state on paper but in practice it is not. India is taking step towards becoming an illiberal democracy because it has lost the credibility of many basic institutions. He also goes further to say that in Indian politics policies do not matter but emotions2. This comment forces us to reflect upon our own society and polity.
Some are concerned about increasing majoritarianism and cultural hegemony in Indian society.3 some are warning Indians against the erosion of democratic and secular norms in India.4 Moreover, a worldwide celebrated thinker Amartya Sen has also expressed his deep concern about increasing hatred for the people with different ways of life and for those with different origins and religious beliefs. His observation is that India is becoming much more divided along religious lines.5
Now the big question before us is : what is the solution to this problem? On this backdrop my mind goes back to the Constituent Assembly, where the great visionaries, the great philosophers of Hinduism and great freedom fighters have given the solution to this problem. Their speeches in Constituent Assembly were not merely words but the philosophy combining the Indian ancient values with the modern values which are celebrated and accepted as basic values of mankind worldwide. It is the time to remember those speeches which are responsible to construct a new India, a just India for all irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. After such huge deliberation every Article of the constitution was accepted.
The Indian Constitution has been seen as a unique document. In 1950 for the first time in Indian history a diverse collection of individuals and groups became the people of a single book, one that reflects their mutual rights and which articulates a collective identity.”6
The famous American Constitutional expert Granville Austin has observed that national unity and integrity and democratic and equitable society were the most important goals set by the founding fathers and mothers of the Indian Constitution. Unity, social revolution and democracy are three strands of a seamless web. His argument is that during recent years it has become fashionable among some citizens to disparage the Constitution makers and their documents. These individuals are disappointed by the development in the country due to the Constitution and have called for changing it. They argue that it has not worked. In fact, such thinking is misguided because Constitutions do not work, they are inert, dependent upon being ‘worked’ by citizens and elected and appointed leaders. He also notes that atmosphere of the Constituent Assembly, generally speaking , was one of trusts in the leadership and a sense of compromise among the members. The Assembly’s hope which it frequently achieved was to reach decisions by consensus.7
In my second of this presentation I would like to show some quotations from the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly which reflects the multiple visions of the founding fathers of our Constitution. Now I would like to quote some visionaries in the Constituent Assembly on various dream projects. All speeches are collected from the first session of the Constituent Assembly debate. These ought to constitute our guiding principles even today in governance.
The Humane India :
It was a dream of the Constituent Assembly to create a humane India. As on 11th December 1946 the great Hindu philosopher Dr. S. Radhakrishnan said that “All we are here assembled to draw up a Constitution for future India. A Constitution is the fundamental law of the nation; I should embody express the dreams and passions the ideals and aspirations of the people. It must be based on the consent of all, and respect the rights of all people who belong to this great land. The people whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Princes or peasants belong to this country. Earth and heaven have combined to make them belong to one another. If they try to disown it, their gait, their cast of countenance, their modes of thought, their ways of behavior, they will all betray them. It is not possible for us to think that we belong to different nationalities, our whole ancestry is there. It is essential for any Constitution which is drawn up to make all the citizens realize that their basic privileges, education, social and economic are afforded to them; that there will be cultural autonomy, that nobody will be suppressed, that it will be a Constitution which will be democratic in true sense of the term, where from political freedom we will march on to economic freedom and equity. Every individual should feel that he is proud to belong to this great land. Apart from all these a nation does not depend on identity of race or sentiment or an ancestral memories, but it depends on a persistent and continuous way of life that has come down to us. Such a way of life, belong to the very soil of this land. It is there indigenous to this country as much as water of the Ganges or the snows of the Himalayas, from the very roots of our civilization down in the Indus valley to the present day, the same great culture is represented among Hindus and Muslims, we have stood for the idea of comprehension and charity all these centuries.”8
Gentle India :
To create a gentle India was also a dream of our forefathers. As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan has said that the Mahabharata says “Mrduna darunam hanta, mrduna hanta adarunam, nasadhyam mrduna kinchit tasmat tiksnaram hi mrudth” means “Gentleness can overcome the hardest things, it can overcome the softest things. There is nothing impossible to be overcome by gentleness and therefore the sharpest weapon we have is gentleness”. Softness, gentleness that is the greatest weapon which will wear out the highest kind of opposition. We have not been true to it. We have betrayed and done wrong to millions of our own fellow beings. It is now time for us to make atonement for all past guilt. It is not a question of justice or charity, it is atonement that is now I would put it.”9
Addressing the assembly after his election as the President of the assembly, Dr. Rajendra Prasad had said that “we are here for framing a Constitution for an independent India to place before the world a model of Constitution that will satisfy all our people, all groups, all communities, all religions inhabiting this land and which will ensure everyone freedom of action, freedom of thought, freedom of belief and freedom of worship which will guarantee to everyone opportunities for rising to his highest and which will guarantee everyone freedom in all respect.” 10
United and Integrated India
United and integrated India was one of the most favourable dreams of the Constitution makers. Addressing to the Constituent Assembly after moving aims and objectives resolution on 13th December 1946, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru had said that “ it has ever been and shall always be our ardent desire to see the people of India united together, so that we frame a Constitution which will be acceptable to the masses of the Indian people. It is at the same time that when a great country starts to advance, no party or group can stop it.” He further goes on to say that, “ we are all now in our respective spheres, partymen, belonging to this or that group and presumely we shall continue to act in our respective parties, nevertheless the time comes, when we have to rise above party and think of nation, think of even the world at large of which our nation is a great part.” 11
Responding to the aims and objectives of the resolution Shri. Purushottamdas Tandon said that, “the history of our relations with British shows that Hindu-Muslim differences are purely a British creation on which the British harp upon. They were not in existence before their advent, Hindus and muslims had a common civilization and lived amicably.”12
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookherjee a leader of Hindu Mahasabha responding to the resolution said that “we shall go ahead with our work in spite of all difficulties and obstacles, and help to create that great India united and strong, which will be the motherland of not this community or that, not this class or that but of every person, man, woman and child inhabiting this great land, irrespective of race, caste, creed or community. Where everyone will have equal opportunity and equal freedom and equal status so that he or she could develop himself or herself to the best of his or her talent and serve faithfully and fearlessly this beloved common motherland of ours.” 13
The same views were expressed by Dr. Radhakrishnan in his first speech on 11th December 1946 in the assembly. He spoke thus, “if you have understanding, if you have compassion you will be able to overcome the problem of this world. Ashoka, the great disciple of Lord Buddha when found hid empire inhabited by men of all races and religion said “ Samavaya eva Sadhuh” means “Concard alone is the supreme good”
He further says that, “India is a symphony where there are as in orchestra different instruments, each with its particular sonority, each with its special sound combining to interpret one particular score. It is the kind of combination that this has stood for. It never adopted inquisitional methods. It never asked the Parsis or the Jews or Christians or Mughals who came and took shelter there to change their creeds or become absorbed in what might be called a uniform Hindu humanity. It never did this. “Live and let live” that has been the spirit of this country. If we are true to that spirit, if that ideal which has dominated our cultural landscape for five or six thousand years and is still operating, I have no doubt that the crises by which we are faced today will be overcome as many other crisis in our previous history have been overcome.”14
Calling upon by the President to put his words over the resolution Dr. Ambedkar had said that “Now sir, I have not got the slightest doubt in my mind as to the future evolution and the ultimate shape of the social, political and economic structure of this great country. I know today we are divided politically, socially and economically. We are a group of warring camps and I may go even to the extent of confessing that I am probably one of the leaders of such a camp. But sir, I am quite convinced that given time and circumstances nothing in the world will prevent this country from becoming one. With all our castes and creeds I have not the slightest hesitation that we shall in some form be a united people. I have no hesitation in saying that notwithstanding the agitation of the Muslim League for the partition of India, some day enough light would fall down upon the Muslims themselves and they will begin to think that a united India is better even for them. He went on further to say that when deciding the destinies of nations dignities of people, dignities of leaders and dignities of parties ought to count for nothing. The destiny of the country ought to count for everything. He also said that ‘it is easy to give power but it is difficult to give wisdom’. Let us prove by our conduct that if this assembly has arrogated to itself sovereign powers it is prepared to exercise them with wisdom. That is the only way by which we can carry with us all sections of the country. There is no other way that can lead us to unity. Let us not have no doubt on that point.”15
On the backdrop of these views it can be said that the need of the hour is to create an atmosphere of unity and belief instead of hatred and suspicion. We ought to act like a co-citizen, cooperate with each other, have cemented minds with the feeling of fancy and brotherhood. This and this only will make this country a country with pride.
References :
1. Tharoor Shashi, India, Penguin, 2007, pp54-58
2. Jefferlot Christosphe, Indian Express, 24th May 2019
3. Mehta Pratap Bhanu, 25th May 2019
4. The Washington Post, 25th May 2019
5. Sen Amartya, The NewYork Times, 24th May 2019
6. Bhargav Rajeev (Ed), Politics and Ethics of the Indian Constitution, Oxford, 2008
7. Austin Granville, The Indian Constitution- Cornerstone of a Nation
8. Radhakrishnan S, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 37
9. Ibid
10. Rajendra Prasad, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 52
11. Nehru Jawaharlal, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 60
12. Tandon Purushottamdas, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 68
13. Mookherjee Syama Prasad, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 99
14. Radhakrishnan S, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 38
15. Ambedkar B. R, Costituent Assembly Debates, Vol. I, Govt. of India, pp 101-103.
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