Constituent Assembly -Formation of Indian Constitution

How our Constitution was formed

 

The constituent Assembly was formed on the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan in November 1946. It was a grouping of respected and famous political leader & freedom fighters of that time. Exceptions were Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It was partially elected and partially nominated body, where the nominated members were elected by the elected members of the respective legislative assemblies of their region. The members of provincial assemblies were themselves elected by limited Adult Franchise (provide by the Government of India Act of 1935 on the basis of property, tax and education parameters). Composition of the assembly-

 

• Total seats 389. Allotted to British India 296 and Indian Princely states 93.
• Each province and Princely state seats were allotted roughly in the proportion of their population.
• Nominated members of Princely states were nominated by the head of the state.
• Seats of the British Provinces were to be decided among the 3 principled communities Muslims, Sikhs and General (all except Muslims, Sikhs) in proportion to their population.
• Members of each community were to elected by members of that community in the provincial legislative assembly and the voting was to be by the method of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
• The elected constituent assembly had members from all the section society –Hindus, Muslims, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs, Parsis and from the Dalits, including the women of these sections.
• We need to remember all these members were not elected through Direct Adult Franchise.

 

 

 

Who Boycotted

 

• Muslim League boycotted the constituent Assembly and insisted for the creation of separate state of Pakistan.
• Even princely states decided to stay constituent Assembly as believed to secure their hereditary and monarchy rule within their states.
• Constituent Assembly finally attended by only 211 members.

 

 

Objectives Resolution –What Shaped our Constitution

 

On December 13, 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru passed the historic Objectives Resolution which later proved to be the version as modified into the PREAMBLE (soul) of our Constitution. It laid the fundamental and philosophy of our constitutional structure.

Basically, it provided for Secular, Sovereign, Republic and Democratic India. Which provided equality against law, social and economic freedom and opportunities for all its citizens to excel. It provided that India would maintain the territorial integrity of the union. It also provided liberty of speech and expression, Freedom of religion and conscience.

 

The resolution of the Constituent Assembly was unanimously adopted by the Assembly on January 22, 1947.

 

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