Copies of the Indian Constitution are being held up by sundry politicians as though it is the ‘final book’ revealed to a prophet. With this they imply that it needs to be followed with religious fervour and cannot be tampered with. They thereby suggest that the ruling BJP comprises apostates out to commit unforgivable sacrilege.
Intelligent people should stay as clear of this narrative as possible. It should never be forgotten that the Constitution that the people of India gave unto themselves was crafted by their representatives after much thought, based on experience. It was, however, still imperfect. It needs to be improved as times change so that it remains relevant. Time did not freeze the day the Constitution was adopted.
And, indeed, improvements have been made, by and large, with over a hundred amendments. A consensus has been built around the Supreme Court judgement that the ‘basic nature’ of the constitution cannot be changed. India’s stable democracy has ensured that circumstances have not been allowed to develop as has happened in many countries around the world. The ongoing misuse of presidential powers in the US that has made a mockery of that ‘leading’ democracy is there for all to see.
It must be understood at this period in time that the evangelical holding up of the constitution can prove to be the greatest threat to it. Rather than worshipping the book, it needs to be read, studied and interpreted in the light of challenges faced. There have been provisions that stood in the way of India’s progress that have been removed. Article 370 is the latest that comes to mind.
The propaganda that the reservations provided for SCs, STs and OBCs are an inviolate part of the constitution also requires to be countered by experts. These were always temporary provisions that are becoming increasingly ‘permanent’ as the desired objectives have supposedly not been achieved. Instead of trying to understand why this is so, an easy solution is being sought by increasing their scope. It is important for those advocating this approach to study the debates that took place on the subject in the Constituent Assembly. In fact, the reservation card for Muslims that resulted in the creation of a theocratic Pakistan is being sought to be renewed in violation of the constitution. Let the nation be run in the light of this embodiment of India’s wisdom. It should not become the ‘handmaiden’ of personal ambitions of desperate politicians.
