The Philosophy of the Constitution Test - 1

In the context of America — where the constitution was written in the late 18th century— it is absurd to apply the values and standards of that era to the 21st century.  However, in India, the world of the original framers and our present day world may not have changed so drastically.  

These and other individual freedoms such as freedom of conscience are part of the liberal ideology. 

This was not easy in our country, first because communities do not always have a relationship of equality; they tend to have hierarchical relationships with one another (as in the case of caste).

The Japanese Constitution of 1947 is popularly known as the ‘peace constitution’.

In short, to get a handle on current constitutional practices, to grasp their value and meaning, we may have no option but to go back in time to the Constituent Assembly debates and perhaps even further back in time to the colonial era.

…we wanted the music of Veena or Sitar, but here we have the music of an English band. That was because our constitution makers were educated that way. …That is exactly the kind of Constitution Mahatma Gandhi did not want and did not envisage.” K. Hanumanthaiya

It is widely agreed that one reason for having constitutions is the need to restrict the exercise of power. Modern states are excessively powerful. 

Furthermore, we may have forgotten the real point underlying several of our legal and political practices, simply because somewhere down the road we began to take them for granted. 

Under Article 371A, the privilege of special status was also accorded to the North-Eastern State of Nagaland. 

The Preamble of our Constitution reads: India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic.