The higher judiciary in india are given to quoting pronouncements of American judges and jurists,to the chagrin of Hindu revivalists who consider this an undesirable deference to Western ideas of law.They would prefer references to ancient Indian Dharma shastras like Manu Samhita to give a native stamp to our laws. But honorable judges remained unfazed,leaving the passionate nativitists fuming.As far[Read More…]
Republic Day is the right time to re-confirm commitment to a path based on justice, equality, peace, harmony, genuine democracy and protection of environment, in keeping with the spirit of the constitution of India and the preceding freedom movement of India. In addition as at least the present phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra nears completion, with its emphasis on equality[Read More…]
At a Press Conference held in Delhi on 18 January, the Government spokesman said, “The Nation will celebrate its 74th Republic Day on January 26, 2023. The celebrations include the traditional march past at Kartavya Path comprising a grand parade by the contingents of the Armed Forces & Paramilitary Forces; tableaux display by the States and Central Ministries/Departments; cultural performances by[Read More…]
India has great diversity. It is geo-climatically diverse, with the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan mountains, the Indo-Gangetic plains, deserts, the peninsular plateau with mountain ranges, and riverine and coastal plains. People who live in different geo-climatic regions have different ways of living. They speak, eat, dress differently, and have different customs and cultures, sometimes even among co-religionists. Even within these geo-climatic[Read More…]
It was ‘Constitution Day’ once again on 26 November, as the nation remembered with profound gratitude the day in 1949, on which the Constituent Assembly ‘adopted, enacted and gave to ourselves’ a meaningful Constitution. The day was also a reminder that ‘Constitution Day’ for the citizens of India cannot be relegated to[Read More…]
(The present article is published to mark the occasion of Constitution Day, November 26, 2022. It may be deemed as part-2 of an earlier article, published an year ago: A Peep into the past: On the occasion of 65th Anniversary of Ambedkar’s Nirvana – Remembering Ambedkar and Revisiting his Thoughts (06/12/2021) https://countercurrents.org/2021/12/a-peep-into-the-past-on-the-occasion-of-65th-anniversary-of-ambedkars-nirvana-remembering-ambedkar-and-revisiting-his-thoughts/ ) *** *** 26th November 2022 is being[Read More…]
One hopes the old idiomatic phrase is still understood by many. For nothing else can catch the frenzy the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ provoke among die-hard adherents of Hindutva.Our Prime Minister has re-affirmed his old links with them with a recent remark. Shedding his jovial neighbourly expression and putting on his portentuous mien and manner,he has reportedly declared that the[Read More…]
India has a political system where the executive makes the laws, rules the country. There is judiciary to ensure that the executive walks the path of Indian Constitution. Judiciary’s major commitment is to Indian Constitution and has to protect the values of the same. Currently there are criticisms that judiciary seems to working under the pressure of the executive. To[Read More…]
On 13 Dec 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru moved an “Objective Resolution” during the Constituent Assembly, which outlined the objectives of the Constitution. These were discussed and later became the constitutional Preamble, assuring to the People, the democratic core values of Justice, Liberty and Equality. Fraternity as a core value, was added by B.R.Ambedkar on 21 February 1948. B.R.Ambedkar urged that the[Read More…]
Our present BJP-RSS rulers are trying overtime to change the Constitution of India in the interest of themselves and their party. They are trying to convince people that if Nehru can amend the Constitution within the first fifteen months of its adoption in the interest of his party, then why can’t they? Well, the constitution is not Shalgramshila (a solid[Read More…]
The Indian elite is given to thinking of the Constitution as some sort of a sacred emblem, and believes that none will dare commit sacrilege against it.But the constitution,however noble a document,is made by people,and it has to be protected by people from damage and danger.When one reads that an MP of the governing party has proposed in parliament alteration[Read More…]
That way reciting the Constitution’s Preamble has been transformed from text to socially dynamic statement… Against this new method of agitation, authorities slapped various criminal charges including sedition, arrested several protestors and strongly opposed their bail petitions. *** We celebrated 72nd Constitution Day on 26th November 2021. Two months before Republic Day (26 January 1950), the Constitution was finalised and[Read More…]
The Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 which is celebrated as the CONSTITUTION DAY. This Constitution promised new born Indian Republic a polity based on democracy, justice, egalitarianism and rule of law. However, RSS was greatly annoyed. Four days after the historic event of approval of it, the RSS English Organiser in an[Read More…]
Nation = People + Country + Constitution A nation is the synergetic sum of a country’s people with their social and cultural resources, who live within the boundaries of the country with its natural and economic resources, and the rules by which the people live and work. The “rule book” for India is the Constitution of India. It was the[Read More…]
This is Part-2 of the article. Part-1 was published on Jan 26 : https://countercurrents.org/2021/01/dv-rao-on-constitutional-system/ “The essential feature of the Constitution is to provide with certain limited democratic rights with one hand, and take them back with another hand,” DV Rao analyses in his court statement. “The Constitution grants all powers to the ruling classes to snatch away all freedoms, which[Read More…]
India has a Constitutional autocracy, DV Rao, veteran revolutionary and an MP, told the Court, in his assessment of India’s Indian Constitutional System DV Rao, veteran revolutionary and an MP This is Part-1 of an article. Com DV Rao. Devulapalli Venkateswara Rao (Born 1917 June 1- died on 1984 July 12), prominent communist revolutionary of India, had a political life that[Read More…]
The Constituent Assembly (CA) of India passed the Constitution on November 26, 1949 after almost 3 years’ deliberations. It was an amazing contribution in the history of the modern liberal democracies as it was not only the lengthiest constitution in the world history (underlining the fact that the polity it was to govern was diverse and vast) but also created[Read More…]
Unity in independent India being diverse and plural nation was a dream come true. We have survived and proved as a truly democratic republic state until recent times with minimal flaws. This was made possible by a more accommodative and flexible conflict resolution mechanism in the form of a colossal constitution. The present majoritarian regime manoeuvres the crevasses existing in[Read More…]
After the Rajasthan High Court ordered ‘status quo’ in relation to the notices issued by the Speaker initiating the proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot paraded more than 100 MLAs in front of the governor and requested the governor to convene the session but the governor exhibited reluctant to convene the session of[Read More…]
Statement Of The Constitutional Conduct Group This statement by our group of former civil servants arises from our deep concern at the assault on the Rule of Law in India and on its citizens’ rights to free speech and dissent, basic elements of any democracy. The whole constitutional edifice is dependent on the Rule of Law, which implies the subjection[Read More…]
The language of political discourse is the biggest casualty after the Sangh Parivar inspired government came power in India. The C grade rhetoric and to convert everything into a street fight of tu tu main main is the art that one can learn in the Sangh. The daily dose of jumlas and distorted versions of history is another art they[Read More…]
They call it ‘dharm-sansad’ but why should we need it when we have the ‘sansad’ elected by the people. But dharmsansad actually is the brahmanical monopoly over us. It is meant to maintain it because politically elected ‘sansad’ has given representation to diverse sections of our society. Political elected sansad discuss, debate and decide but the dharmsansad has no faith[Read More…]
It is not just BJP minister Anantkumar Hegde. Here is a look at some past attempts of the RSS-BJP to tinker with the Constitution. “Line wahan se shuru hoti hai jahan ham khade rehte hain” (The queue starts from the point where we stand). Remember that 70s Bollywood film where teh then bad boy of Hindi cinema (Shatrughan Sinha) barges into[Read More…]
(“Indian Constitution Unriddled :Search for Sources” is a monumental work published by Purogami Prakashana , Hubli, in 2015 March. The volume is compiled by late Sri SG Nadgir and Dr. KS Sharma, and published to mark the birth centenary of the former, a renowned teacher. What follows here is the Foreword to the book by Dr.KS Sharma, eminent Professor of[Read More…]
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Our beloved K.P.Sasi is no more. Filmmaker, cartoonist, writer, mentor, friend and above all tireless activist championing the cause of every underdog, Sasi breathed his last, mid-afternoon this Christmas day – after battling a medical condition for months. I remember the last time I met him, almost exactly a month before he passed away, at the ayurvedic healing center in[Read More…]
