day one. This has its own history. Are these questions there because of an ignorance of the constitution? If so, then this book opens the windows and doors of a constitution which has satirically been described a ‘paradise for lawyers’. It creates the possibility for vital air. From the experience of the editors can say that even big lawyers are ignorant about the constitution because it is extremely complex. How can it become comprehensible? Anyone desirous of solving this question will find more than sufficient material in this book. The complexity of the constitution is another reason why it could not become a beloved text for the ordinary citizen.  The way a citizen believes in his religious book, the constitution should be the religious text of the system of governance. Until this does not happen, deliberations should continue. Any discussion is only germane and successful when it addresses the core question which is how can the fundamental issue regarding the constitution of India be recognised for discussions? The answer to this is extremely simple.
India has its own character, its own culture and it also has its own distortions. We can only understand our distortions and character under the torchlight of our culture.
It is under this light that we have to create our present times. Our current constitution ascertains the religion of our state. How Indian or un-Indian is this constitution, basically? The process of the formation of this constitution should be put to test on the basis of logic and its past and present should be studied. This is why this book: Revisiting Our Constitution. 
This book is a collection of well-researched essays that brainstorm about the constitution. Academic endeavours have been made in this book to examine and perceive the constitution from the perspective of ‘Ram Rajya’. A single-government system emerges from the constitution. Ram Rajya has been considered the supreme ideal of any government system in India. Mahatma Gandhi had also stated that Ram Rajya was the goal of Independent India. On the sesquicentennial year of Gandhi, noted academic journal Manthan has taken up a responsibility and that is a review of the journey of India’s constitution. This effort is not as simple and easy as is believed. In actual fact it is difficult, complex.

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Contents

Preface/Intro —Pgs. 7

1. Constitution of India: The Inside Story —Ram Bahadur Rai —Pgs. 15

2. Politico-Ideological Foundations of Constitutionalising India —Prof. Bidyut Chakraborty —Pgs. 39

3. Constitutional Democracy and Basic Structure Doctrine —Ravi Shankar Prasad —Pgs. 49

4. Indian Constitution and Federalism —Prof. Rekha Saxena —Pgs. 65

5. Parliamentary Democracy: Our Constitution and its Implementation —Sumitra Mahajan —Pgs. 79

6. Parliamentary System and Gram Swarajya —Dr. Chandrashekhar Pran —Pgs. 86

7. Cooperative Constitutional Reform through Institutional Dialogue —Govind Goel —Pgs. 97

8. Indian Constitution and Social Justice —Dr. O.P. Shukla —Pgs. 116

9. Constitution of India and Princely States —Devesh Khandelval —Pgs. 138

10. ‘Minority’ in Indian Constitution —Ashutosh Kumar Jha —Pgs. 149

11. History of Struggle for Women’s Rights in India —Alisha Dhingra —Pgs. 160

12. Indian Constitution and Institution of Family —Prof. Bhagwati Prakash Sharma —Pgs. 172

13. Saga of a Struggle: The Authorised Hindi Text of Our Constitution —Brij Kishore Sharma —Pgs. 180

14. Colonial Background of Indian Constitution and Some Immediate Correctives —J.K. Bajaj —Pgs. 191

15. Political Parties, the Constitution and the Election Commission —S.Y. Quraishi —Pgs. 210

16. The Constitution and Official Language —Brij Kishore Sharma —Pgs. 219

17. The First Copy of the Constitution: An Artistic Introduction —Jawaharlal Kaul —Pgs. 228

18. Indian Constitution and Mahatma Gandhi —Dr. Ramesh Bharadwaj —Pgs. 235

19. Constituent Assembly and Indian Socialists —Dr. Anand Kumar —Pgs. 246

20. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Constitution —Some Aspects —Prof. Vijay K. Kayat —Pgs. 252

21. Constitution of India and Dr. Rammanohar Lohia —Raghu Thakur —Pgs. 258

22. The Making of Indian Constitution and Deendayal Upadhyaya —Dr. Mahesh Chandra Sharma —Pgs. 264

23. Elections are Important but not Enough —Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe —Pgs. 271

Historic Speeches in the Constituent Assembly

24. A Free India can be Nothing but a Republic —Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru —Pgs. 281

25. Revolutionary Changes Possible —Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan —Pgs. 295

26. No Reference to Our Culture —Dr. Raghu Vira —Pgs. 304

27. Constitution Embodies the Views of the Present Generation —Dr. B.R. Ambedkar —Pgs. 311

28. A Law-giver Requires Intellectual Equipment —Dr. Rajendra Prasad —Pgs. 326

Ram Bahadur Rai
Shri Ram Bahadur Rai was born on July 1, 1946 in Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh). He did his post-graduation in Journalism from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1969, while being actively associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Ram Bahadur Rai was a prominent leader of the Bihar students' movement and was arrested several times in this connection. He was detained under MISA during the Emergency. Later, he joined the Jansatta newspaper, retiring as its Political Editor in 2004. Rai was also the editor of Pratham Pravakta and has published several books, including Shashwat Vidrohi Acharya JB Kripalani. He has been honoured with the Padmashri. Presently, Rambahadur Rai is the Editor of Yathawat, the Group Editor of Hindusthan Samachar and the President of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Arts.

Dr. Mahesh Chandra Sharma
Birth: 7 September, 1948 in Churu, Rajasthan.
Education: BA (Hons) Hindi, MA, PhD (Political Science). Career/Activities: Left the job of lecturer to become an RSS Pracharak in 1973. Was detained under MISA between August 1975 and April 1977. 1977-1983: Organising Secretary of ABVP in the then North-Western Zone. 1983-1986: Research on Political Biography of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya : His Actions and Ideology. Contributed weekly column Vishwavarta and Apna Desh in various newspapers and periodicals across the country. 1986: Became the Secretary, Deendayal Research Institute and edited its research journal Manthan. Have been regularly bringing out an annual publication Akhand Bharat Smarnika since 1986. 1996-2002: Member, Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament of India) and the Chief Whip of the BJP in the House. 2002-2004: Vice President, Nehru Yuvak Kendra. 2006-2008: President, BJP, Rajasthan. 2008-2009: Chairman, Development and Investment Board, Rajasthan. Have been the Chairman, Research and Development Foundation for Integral Humanism since 1999. Editor: Deendayal Upadhyaya Sampoorna Vangmay, and now the Complete Works of Deendayal Upadhyaya, running into 15 Volumes.