‘Of the people, for the people, and by the people’

Members of our Constituent assembly –circa 1949

It is the 26^th of January and 75 years ago; India, after gaining independence from British rule declared itself a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic state after adopting the Constitution on 26^th November 1949. Strains of “Saare jahaan se acha……”in Lata Mangeshkar’s melodious voice; a song that seems mandatory listening in our colony during such ‘national’ celebrations, filtered through the window while I was making poha for breakfast. And thoughts bubbling up over the last week needed penning desperately, hence this blog.

While I have nothing against unfurling the tricolour, amidst the colony residents and their choiceless children, I wonder at our true understanding of the significance of this ritual. It is meant to be a symbolic gesture to renew our commitment to the Constitution, that remarkable document which is the longest written constitution in the world and took the distilled wisdom of leaders of a newly independent, diverse country hailing from a civilisation three millennia old, 166 days to create. The preamble declares India to be a welfare state committed to secure justice, liberty and equality for its now one billion people, and for promoting fraternity, dignity of the individual and unity and integrity of the nation. And these objectives set out in this preamble, cannot be amended. The statement ‘We the people… adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution’ signifies the power is ultimately vested in the hands of the people.

Listening to a number of historians and people who have devoted their lives to decoding our complex and nuanced histories in the subcontinent, I often am astonished that the country we call India today even came into being! And although the freedom struggle led by the Indian National Congress dominated the scene, the Constituent Assembly represented members from different castes, classes and religions, also ensuring a fair geographical representation from all regions. That names like Vallabhbhai Patel, Abul Kalam Azad, TT Krishnamachari, H.C.  Mookherjee and Madam Bhikaiji Rustom Cama featured is proof in itself. But after that, the draft prepared by the committee chaired by B. R. Ambedkar went through several rounds of discussion, clause by clause, deliberating on over two thousand amendments. Maybe in its fledgling years, democratic debate existed.

So, the question bubbling in me is, have we matured as republic, holding those values today?

Do our legislature and executive wings of the government, in any real way know how words like ‘secular’ translate in action? If events I witnessed on mainstream media on Jan 22^nd and news that slipped through what is left of the fourth estate are anything to go by, we are well on our way to becoming a religious state. Worse still, governed by a reductionist view of an ancient tolerant religion, that allowed India to grow into its beautiful diversity today.

The ‘socialist’ died a premature death; in India today, we pride ourselves on creating lakhpatis, left-wing can translate as terrorist, and MGNREGA our largest national programme to support rural unemployed cannot pay wages on time, due to insufficient funds.

I am not sure in today’s global economy steered by shadowy multinationals whether the word ‘sovereign’- implying that the state has its independent authority or power, means anything at all.

Can our overburdened judiciary meet the needs of the public, or will they continue to have to direct governments to fulfil their responsibilities to citizens?

Today’s Hindu Editorial by Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey “Reclaiming the Republic, and the Constitution” gave a glimmer of hope as I sat down to eat my poha. All is not lost yet, it appears…

Or else, the Constitution of Bharath might become another myth, like the Ramayan.