Why India Needed a Constitution

Elaboration

Colonial background: Under British rule, Indians had no say in making laws. The Government of India Acts of 1909 (Morley-Minto), 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford), 1935 gave limited, communal and non-responsible reforms. India therefore wanted a framework that came from its own people.
Demand for self-rule: The Swaraj idea, the Nehru Report (1928) (first Indian attempt at a constitutional blueprint, rejected the idea of separate electorates) and the Karachi Resolution (1931) (promised Fundamental Rights and social-economic goals) laid the intellectual base.
Diversity: Religion, language, caste, region and princely states required a framework that would unite yet accommodate differences, hence federal structure, minority rights, secularism.
Social transformation: The Constitution was meant to end caste discrimination and untouchability, provide universal franchise and promote social justice. Granville Austin: the Constitution is a social document, with national unity, democracy and social revolution as its seamless web.
Legitimacy and limits on power: A constitution gives government legitimacy and restrains it through rights and rule of law.
Transition from empire to state: Partition, integration of 565 princely states, and the need for a stable political order made a written, supreme document essential.

Key points to remember

First attempt by Indians to draft a constitution: Nehru Report 1928.
Karachi Session (1931) = FRs + economic programme.
Constitution = legitimacy + limitation of power + shared vision.
Granville Austin: "The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation".

PYQ / MCQ

1. The Nehru Report (1928) is significant because it:

(a) demanded Pakistan
(b) was the first major attempt by Indians to frame a constitution
(c) was drafted by the British
(d) rejected Dominion Status entirely

Answer: (b)

2. Which Congress session passed the resolution on Fundamental Rights and National Economic Programme?

(a) Lahore 1929
(b) Karachi 1931
(c) Faizpur 1936
(d) Haripura 1938

Answer: (b)

3. Consider:
(1) Govt. of India Act 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims.
(2) GoI Act 1919 introduced dyarchy in the provinces. Which is correct?

Answer: Both 1 and 2 are correct.