Indian Constitution has a unique duality of being the most acceptable as well as most controversial document in the country. Even those who accept it, demand to change it in one way or another. One of those demands is the Indianization of the Indian Constitution.
PM unveils statue of Equality
Recently, PM Modi unveiled the 216-feet tall statue of Sri Ramanujacharya at Muchintal, the ashram of Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister underlined the concept of equality preached by Sri Ramanujacharya.
Outlining how Sri Ramanujacharya worked towards uplifting everyone, PM Modi said, “The Vishistadwaita concept of Ramanujacharya was aimed at driving away the blind faith. He preached that Bhakti (reverence towards the Almighty) does not discriminate people on the basis of caste and community.”
Sri Ramanujacharya propagated equality
PM Modi also emphasised that the concept of equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution draws its inspiration from Sri Ramanujacharya. Additionally, he also referred to the fact that B R Ambedkar, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee was also full of praise for the Sadhu.
It is often believed that the concept of Equality in the Indian Constitution has been borrowed from Europe. Various other features are believed to be a copy of other Constitutions prevailing at the time. However, deep down, most of these concepts can be traced back to India.
Secularism
India was first declared a Secular state by the Indira Gandhi government in 1976. Later, Supreme Court confirmed that India was secular ever since the country became a republic, Indira Gandhi just gave formal confirmation of it.
The term in its current sense traces its origin to the movement of dividing Church and state. The same formula had been copy-pasted onto India. However, a closer analysis reveals that separation between religion and state has been a significant feature of Indic civilisation.
In India, kings and queens always had their way of life. They used to worship a particular form of Bhagwan. But, nowhere in Indian history will you find any monarch imposing his/her way of life onto people being ruled by them. This phenomenon is exactly what westerners termed secularism.
Equality
Equality in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution is said to be a direct derivation of the French concept of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Similarly, equality before the law is borrowed from British Constitution.
The equality principle was inserted because an aura of inequality was created by the British at the time of their coming to India. When Europeans landed on the Indian shore, they divided different cordially existing-working classes into an upper and lower caste, which later became the reason for the caste system.
To cure a system that they had created, a concept of equality was inserted in the Constitution. In the untrammelled Indian culture, these concepts were understood and did not require an authority’s word to enforce.
Socialism
Let’s be honest, a country whose history boasts of Ram Rajya does not need a specifically coded Redistribution system, popularly called socialism. The word was inserted into the preamble of the Indian Constitution through the 42nd amendment act brought in by the Indira Gandhi government.
India already has a great history of philanthropy. Rig Ved has a specific portion devoted to Charity. Kings used to do this on regular basis. Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan movement can be termed as a manifestation of the same principle engrained in us for thousands of years.
Many other principles forming the philosophy of our founding documents are indicative of a clear colonial bias in the minds of our Constitution makers. Read our detailed description of this phenomenon.
Read more: Indian constitution reeks of colonialism
KCR’s demand could turn out to be a game-changer
Recently, K. Chandrashekhar Rao caused a furore in political circles, when he asked for a re-drafting of the Indian Constitution. People are so angry with him that he has now been booked for his demand.
However, KCR’s demand could substantiate into Indianizing Indian Constitution. As you have noted, after PM Modi came to power, various experts including legal luminaries have constantly raised their voices for the Indian legal system. This is because they know that only a nationalistic party will listen to their point of view.
Read more: The Ancient legal system championed by Acharya Chanakya and Maharishi Manu must be brought back
Only BJP can do it
The same holds for Constitution as well. When Congress took over the power from the Britishers, it inherited most of the systems built up by them and benefited from it. Then came junior leaders who garnered power by riding the socialist wave in the 70s and 80s. They have constantly benefitted through enforced vocabularies like Secularism and Socialism in Indian Constitution.
Out of active political parties in India, only BJP has its foundation grounded in Sanatani civilisational value. It’s not wrong to say that only they can muster moral and political courage for Indianizing our Constitution.
ok…you say that the caste system is a social construct…created by the British to divide Indians but as far as I remember brahmins are the ones who always had education and the British constructed schools of education for people irrespective of their caste…. what would you say to those who ask that Nepal (a Hindu country ) was never conquered by the British but had a caste system….stupid propaganda by BJP it cell
you want to destroy our Indian constitution and replace it by slowly re-introducing the caste system….hope the almighty foils your plan…..
Read the book “the beautiful tree,” an anthology of letters by British field officers compiled by Dharampal. You will see how wrong you are “Let’s go .. Brandon.” Caste is a social construct of Europeans. This book points out how India was educating its masses – the schools had teachers and students from Sc/STs as we call now! I. The same school, there used to be Brahmins as well as women! Mind you, these are letters by British Field Officers, lest some bias be imputed to the author.
I was under a similar impression. Only a peripheral reading of the original sources led me to the charade of the yesteryears of British and congress propaganda. Wake up and smell the roses!