“Unka Sankalp, Vipareet Bharat”
“Sab ka Naash, Sab ka Vinaash”

By Aravind Bhatikar

INDIA is the most populous country in the world. As per the population statistics published by the United Nations, India’s population in April 2023 was about 142 crore 57 lakh while China’s was 142 crore 55 lakh in October 2023.
There are 51 countries in Europe with a total population of 74 crore. Thus, India’s population is almost twice the size of Europe. Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India with a population of about 20 crore is more populous than Russia which has a population of about 14 crore. Most states in India are much bigger than countries in Europe.
When India became free in 1947, 60% of the area in the country was directly under British rule, while the remaining 40% was under 565 kingdoms of various sizes. The leadership of independent India had before them the daunting task of integrating the areas formerly ruled by the British and those ruled by various kings, with hugely different history, languages, cultures and religious affiliation, into one country.
It was unanimously decided by the leadership that free India should be a country with freedom of speech, freedom to practice and preach religion, and freedom to have all the rights available in the other democracies of the world. The nature and character of the federal structure (Union of States), separation of powers among the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary, division of financial powers and responsibilities between the States on one side and the Centre on the other had also to be designed.
A Constituent Assembly to draft and adopt the Constitution for the country was formed with 299 members, most of whom were indirectly elected from various States. Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was the chairperson of the drafting committee. The Constituent Assembly worked for almost three years to prepare, discuss and finalize the Constitution. The final draft of the Constitution was unanimously approved by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The Constitution was adopted by the country and made operational on January 26, 1950.
For 65 years since India has been a republic, no political party harbored any intention of tempering with either the federal structure, parliamentary practices and conventions, do’s and don’ts of governance, independence of the judiciary and other Constitutional bodies like the Election Commission of India, Comptroller and Auditor General, etc. It was only after 2014 when Modi and Shah captured the BJP and the government, that the Constitution faced the danger of being irretrievably destroyed the halal way and replaced by majoritarian dictatorship.
The BJP is as good or as bad a political party like the Congress or any other political outfit. The coalition government from 1999 to 2004, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with highly educated and efficient ministers like Yeshwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, Jaswant Singh and above all LK Advani, governed extremely well, without any attempts to sabotage the Constitution.
The BJP under Modi and Shah is different. The ambitious agenda of Modi and Shah of replacing our secular and federal Constitution with majoritarian and unitary (one nation, one election, etc) was unwittingly exposed by some BJP MPs and after Modi himself began sloganeering “Iss baar, Char Sou Paar” and when the MP started explaining that they require to win more than 400 seats to “change” the Constitution.
The dangers involved in abrogating the present Constitution for the marginalized sections of the Indian society including the Dalits, Adivasis, the minorities and the economically oppressed farmers, were highlighted effectively by I.N.D.I.A. leadership and the BJP was stopped abruptly in its track. This time, Indian voters have spoken but not loud enough! The BJP has failed to win the Lok Sabha elections. Modi and Shah, however, continue to rule on the crutches provided by Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar.
For now, the Constitution has been saved but the danger to Indian democracy looms large, as long as Modi and Shah firmly keep the BJP on leash.