Framing The Constitution
Read the following excerpts and answer the Questions that follow:
The real minorities are the masses of this country. Welcoming the Objectives Resolution introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru, N.G. Ranga said : Sir, there is a lot of talk about minorities. Who are the real minorities ? Not the Hindus in the so-called Pakistan provinces, not the Sikhs, not even the Muslims. No, the real minorities are the masses of this country. These people are so depressed and oppressed and suppressed till now that they are not able to take advantage of the ordinary civil rights. What is the position ? You go to the tribal areas. According to law, their own traditional law, their tribal law, their lands cannot be alienated. Yet our merchants go there, and in the so-called free market they are able to snatch their lands. Thus, even though the law goes against this snatching away of their lands, still the merchants are able to turn the tribal people into veritable slaves by various kinds of bonds, and make them hereditary bond-slaves. Let us go to the ordinary villagers. There goes the moneylender with his money and he is able to get the villagers in his pocket. There is the landlord himself, the zamindar, and the malguzar and there are the various other people who are able to exploit these poor villagers. There is no elementary education even among these people. These are the real minorities that need protection and assurances of protection. In order to give them the necessary protection, we will need much more than this Resolution .
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Why did Mahatma Gandhi think Hindustani should be the national language?
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.
What connection did some of the members of the Constituent Assembly make between the political situation of the time and the need for a strong Centre?
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
When was the Indian Constitution framed? When was it enforced?
Discuss the significance of the Indian Constitution. Give any two points.
What were the demands of low caste people and linguistic minorities at the time of making the Indian Constitution?
Name any six leaders who played a very important role in the Constituent Assembly.
What was the fear or concern of many leaders regarding the grant of community rights?
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