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70 Years of Indian Years of Indian
Constitution
Constitution
The opening words of the Constitution
hat is this Constitution? It’s a collection
of words. But words like these are never contained in the Preamble are not just
just words. Words have power; words are words. They are words that encapsulate
W the inspiration to action. When Lokmanya the idea of the India that we have
Tilak declared “Swaraj is my birth right”, when Gandhiji chosen for ourselves, the unshackled
called upon the British to “Quit India”, these were not just India that we want
any words. They were words that set off a chain of actions
that on 14th August 1947 culminated in Jawaharlal Nehru There were representatives from all parties
proclaiming to the world, “At the stroke of the midnight including the All India Women’s Conference, the Hindu
hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to light and Mahasabha, the Communist Party of India Scheduled
freedom”. Similarly, the opening words of the constitution Castes Federation. Congress followed Gandhiji’s advice
contained in the Preamble are not just words. They are and selected distinguished persons outside the party
words that encapsulate the idea of the India that we have irrespective of their political affiliations. Out of the trio
chosen for ourselves, the unshackled India that we want. affectionately dubbed The Three Musketeers of the
They are words that every Indian citizen should know by Drafting Committee, - Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, KM
heart – and act to preserve, protect and defend. Munshi and Gopalaswamy Iyengar – only Munshi was
Our constitution is the product of 2 years, 11 months a member of the Congress. The D’Artagnan to these
and 18 days of hard and selfless work by the Constituent ‘Three Musketeers’, was Dr B. R. Ambedkar, a self-
Assembly. Not a single word of that constitution was proclaimed “lifelong opponent of the Congress Party”. It
written lightly. It was the product of expertise, deep was the spirit of collaboration among people like these,
thought, collaboration and spirited debate and discussion. who found ways to work together for a common vision,
To paraphrase John F Kennedy’s remarks at a White that produced the Indian Constitution. It’s a spirit we
House dinner honouring Nobel laureates, our Constituent would do well to cherish and emulate.
Assembly was probably the most extraordinary collection The other interesting thing about the luminaries of
of talent, of human knowledge that has ever been the Constituent Assembly is their outward looking spirit.
gathered together in India. The working of this Constituent Almost all of these men were giants in their own field.
Assembly is a shining example of the spirit that pervaded Indeed, after meeting Sir Benegal Rau who was on the
the birth of our nation. Seats in the Constituent Assembly Core Committee that drafted the Constitution, Justice
were filled on the basis of expertise and diversity rather Felix Frankfurter of the USA was so impressed with
than party affiliations. his abilities that he said he would have no hesitation in
36 70 Years of Indian Constitution
