Wednesday, 2 July 2025

The Indian Constitution Defended and Interpreted - B.R. AMBEDKAR

 

Indian Constitution is the Supreme law of India that sets out the structures, procedures, powers and duties of government Institutions and the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution was the chairman of the drafting Committee. It was adopted in 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950.  Here, we are going to deal with Ambedkar's concluding speech to the Constituent assembly of India, delivered on 25th November, 1949.

 Dr. Ambedkar gives the credit to all who have helped to shape the Constitution, including the drafting, Committee, the members of Congress party who supported it, the rebels, who opposed it and thanks the President. Here he mentions B.N. Rao, the Constitutional adviser, S.N. Mukherjee the chief draftsman of the Constitution, K.T. Shah, P.S. Deshmukh who opposed and raised ideological points. Then he says that the principles embodied in the Constitution are the views of the present generation. The Constitutional methods in it are for our achieving social and economic objectives. So, the unconstitutional methods like civil disobedience, non-Cooperation and Satyagraha have no any roles to play. Then he warns, saying that Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. He also mentions that we should not be content with mere political democracy. We must make our political democracy a social democracy.

Social democracy is actually a way of life that recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. All the three, form a union. Unless and otherwise all the three function together we can't establish social democracy. As a matter of fact,  Indian social plane provides elevation for some and degradation for others. Similarly Indian economic plane too has provided immense wealth to some and abject poverty to the majority. Thus, though we have equality in politics by considering  'one vote, one value', our social and economic structure continue to deny the principles of 'one man, one value'. To remove this contradiction we should recognize the principle of Fraternity, a sense of common brotherhood of all Indians. Without fraternity, equality and liberty will be no deeper than coats of paint.

Moreover, the downtrodden classes are tired of being governed.  The monopoly of political power in the hands of a few has actually sapped the poor and downtrodden people of what may be called the significance of life. As we have got independence, if, hereafter things go wrong, we will have nobody to blame except ourselves.  So, we should preserve our constitution that guides us to establish the principles of Government of the people, for the people and by the people.  Here more priority should be given to the Government for the people than to the Government by the people and of the people.  Dr. Ambedkar opines that, that is the only way to serve the country.



---Thulasidharan V

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