Ch-2 Making of the constitution

Demand for a Constituent Assembly (Savidhan Sabha ki Maang)

1934 mein pehli baar M.N. Roy, jo India mein communist movement ke pioneer the, ne Constituent Assembly ka idea rakha.

1935 mein, Indian National Congress (INC) ne officially India ka Constitution banane ke liye Constituent Assembly ki maang ki.

1938 mein, Jawaharlal Nehru ne INC ki taraf se yeh declare kiya ki "free India ka Constitution bina kisi bahar ke interference ke, ek Constituent Assembly ke through banaya jana chahiye, jo adult franchise (vote ka adhikar) ke basis par elected ho."

British Government ne yeh demand August Offer (1940) ke through principle mein accept ki.

1942 mein, Sir Stafford Cripps, jo Cabinet ke member the, ek draft proposal ke saath India aaye. British Government ne propose kiya ki World War II ke baad ek independent Constitution banaya jaayega.

Par yeh Cripps Proposal Muslim League ne reject kar diya, kyunki unki demand thi ki India ko do autonomous states mein divide kiya jaye aur dono ke alag-alag Constituent Assemblies ho.

Finally, Cabinet Mission ko India bheja gaya. Mission ne do Constituent Assemblies ka idea reject kar diya, lekin ek aisi scheme propose ki jo Muslim League ko lagbhag satisfy karti thi.

Doubt:

1. Communist Movement

  • Hindi: Samyavaadi Andolan

  • Matlab: Ek aisi political aur social movement jo samaj mein sabhi logon ke liye samaanta (equality) aur ek samaajik vyavastha (social system) ka prachar karti hai. Ismein property aur resources sabke beech barabar bante hain aur kisi ek vyakti ya group ke paas adhik power nahi hoti.

  • Context: M.N. Roy ne India mein communist ideas aur samaanta ke liye andolan shuru kiya.

2. Pioneer

  • Hindi: Agradoot ya Prarambhik Kartaa

  • Matlab: Koi insaan jo kisi naye idea ya movement ko shuru karta hai.

  • Context: M.N. Roy ko India mein communist movement ka pioneer mana gaya hai.

3. Constituent Assembly

  • Hindi: Savidhan Sabha

  • Matlab: Ek assembly ya group jo ek desh ka samvidhan banane ke liye responsible hota hai.

  • Context: India ka Constitution banane ke liye yeh assembly maangi gayi thi.

4. Principle Mein Accept Ki

  • Hindi: Siddhant Roop Mein Swikaar Kiya

  • Matlab: Koi cheez officially poori tarah accept na karte huye bhi, uske basic idea ko maan lena.

  • Context: British Government ne August Offer ke zariye Constituent Assembly ki demand ko principle mein accept kiya.

5. Cabinet

Hindi: Mantri Parishad

Matlab: Government ke sabse senior aur important ministers ka ek group, jo desh ke mahatvapurn faisle lene aur policies banane mein madad karta hai.

Context: Sir Stafford Cripps Cabinet ka ek mahatvapurn member tha jo ek proposal lekar India aaya tha.

6. Cripps Proposal

  • Hindi: Cripps Prastaav

  • Matlab: Sir Stafford Cripps dwara diya gaya proposal, jo suggest karta tha ki World War II ke baad India ka Constitution frame hoga.

  • Context: Is proposal ko Muslim League ne reject kar diya tha.

7. Autonomous

  • Hindi: Svaayatt

  • Matlab: Apna khud ka control ya self-governance. Koi cheez jo independent ho aur doosron ke control mein na ho.

  • Context: Muslim League ki demand thi ki India ke do autonomous states hone chahiye.

Composition of the Constituent Assembly

Constituent Assembly ko November 1946 mein Cabinet Mission Plan ke scheme ke tahat banaya gaya tha. Is scheme ke kuch khas features the:

Features:

1. Total Strength

Assembly ki total strength 389 thi:

  • 296 seats British India ko mili.

  • 93 seats princely states (raja-maharaja ke rajyon) ke liye allot ki gayi.

British India ki 296 seats mein se:

  • 292 members governors’ provinces se aaye.

  • 4 members Chief Commissioners’ provinces (jaise Delhi) se aaye.

2. Seats by Population

Har province aur princely state ko population ke hisaab se seats allot ki gayi.

Roughly 1 seat per 10 lakh population ka rule tha.

3. Community Division

British provinces ki seats 3 communities ke beech baanti gayi:

  • Muslims, Sikhs, aur General (Muslims aur Sikhs ke alawa sab).

  • Seats population ke hisaab se divide hui.

4. Election Method

Community-based Elections: Har community (Muslims, Sikhs, aur General) ke representatives ko unhi community ke provincial legislative assembly ke members dwara elect kiya gaya.

Proportional Representation:

Representatives ka election proportional representation ke zariye hua.

Har community ki population ke hisaab se unhe seats allocate ki gayi thi.

Voting System: Voting ka tareeqa Single Transferable Vote tha, jisme voters apni preference ke basis par candidates ko rank karte hain.

Is method se ensure kiya gaya ki assembly mein har community ka sahi proportion ho.

5. Princely States’ Representatives

Princely states ke representatives ko nominated kiya gaya heads of princely states dwara.

Election Results:

July-August 1946 mein British India ki 296 seats ke liye elections hue.

  • Congress: 208 seats jeeti.

  • Muslim League: 73 seats jeeti.

  • Baaki 15 seats chhoti parties aur independent candidates ko mili.

Princely states ke 93 seats fill nahi hui, kyunki unhone Assembly mein participate nahi kiya.

Important Points:

  • Assembly partly elected aur partly nominated thi.

  • Members directly public ke dwara nahi chuney gaye; unhe provincial assemblies ke elected members dwara indirectly elect kiya gaya.

  • Assembly mein sabhi communities ke representatives the: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Anglo-Indians, Indian Christians, SCs, STs, aur in sabhi sections ki auratein bhi shaamil thi.

  • Assembly mein us samay ke sab important personalities the, except Mahatma Gandhi.

Doubt:

In this context, "strength" refers to the total number of seats or members in the Constituent Assembly.

So, when it says "The total strength of the Constituent Assembly was to be 389," it means that the Assembly was made up of 389 seats, and each seat was occupied by a member.

To sum it up:

Strength = Total number of seats (or members) in the Assembly.

Seats = The individual positions allocated to different groups or regions.

Members = The people who occupy those seats.

In this case, all three terms are related, but when we talk about the "strength," we are referring to the total number of seats/members.

Working of the Constituent Assembly

1. First Meeting

  • Constituent Assembly ki pehli meeting 9 December 1946 ko hui.

  • Muslim League ne meeting ka boycott kiya, kyunki wo alag Pakistan ki demand kar rahe the.

  • Is wajah se sirf 211 members hi meeting mein aaye.

2. Temporary President

Assembly ka pehla temporary (aadhi waqt ke liye) President Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha ko banaya gaya.

Ye decision French practice ke according liya gaya tha, jisme sabse senior member temporary President banta hai.

3. Permanent President

Baad mein Dr. Rajendra Prasad ko Assembly ka permanent President elect kiya gaya.

4. Vice-Presidents

Assembly ne 2 Vice-Presidents elect kiye:

  1. H.C. Mukherjee

  2. V.T. Krishnamachari

Is tarah Constituent Assembly ne apni leadership structure banayi aur kaam shuru kiya.

Objectives Resolution (13 December 1946)

Jawaharlal Nehru ne Objectives Resolution Assembly mein propose kiya jo Constitution ki philosophy aur structure ka foundation banaya. Isme kuch key points the:

1. Independent Sovereign Republic:

India ko ek Independent aur Sovereign Republic declare karne ki baat hui, aur future governance ke liye Constitution banane ka plan tha.

2. Territorial Union

British India, Indian States, aur jo territories India ka hissa banna chahein, unhe ek Union mein unite karne ki baat ki gayi.

Ye Union present boundaries ke saath ya Constituent Assembly ke decisions ke mutabik banega.

3. Autonomous Units

Sabhi territories ko autonomous units ka status milega, jo apne powers aur functions khud manage karengi.

Sirf wo powers Union ke paas hongi jo Constitution mein clearly assign ki gayi hain.

4. Power from People

India ki sovereignty aur authority ka source log honge.

Har part aur organ of government ko apni power logon se derive karni hogi.

5. Justice and Equality:

Sabhi logon ke liye justice (social, economic, political) aur equality ensure ki gayi.

Freedom of thought, belief, worship, expression aur other rights diye gaye, lekin law aur public morality ke under.

6. Minority Safeguards:

Minorities, backward classes aur tribal areas ke liye safeguards provide karne ka plan tha.

7. Integrity and Sovereignty

India ki territorial unity aur sovereignty ko maintain karna zaroori hoga.

Ye land, sea, aur air ke har aspect mein justice aur civilized law ke hisaab se ensure kiya jayega.

8. World Peace:

India ka goal tha ki wo world peace aur mankind ke welfare mein apna yogdan kare.

Adoption:

  • Ye Resolution 22 January 1947 ko unanimously adopt kiya gaya.

  • Iska modified version aaj ke Constitution ke Preamble ka base hai.

Ye Resolution Constitution ke har stage par ek guiding principle raha.

Doubt:

4. Power from People (Hinglish Explanation):

Iska matlab hai ki India ki sari power aur authority (chahe wo government ki ho ya kisi aur institution ki) logon se aati hai.

  • Jo bhi decisions ya rules banenge, wo logon ke liye aur logon ke through honge.

Sovereign independent India ka har ek part, jaise ki government ke alag-alag organs (executive, legislature, judiciary), apni power logon ke consent (razi mandi) se derive karega.

Simple shabdon mein, log desh ke asli malik hain, aur government ka kaam unki seva karna hai, na ki unpe rule karna.