Elucidate the legitimacy of the Indian constitution in today's modern era of 21st century.
Answers
Let me ask a few questions before answering this question in particular.
1. What is the relevance of Sunrise and Sunset in terms of Natural ecology of Earth?
2. What is the relevance of Religious Book in terms of Religion?
3. What is the relevance of instructions written in a question booklet following which you appear in your exam and based on which your answer sheet is being corrected?
If your thoughts are melting down to norms, rules and stipulation in absence of which this world will go eccentric then I think you will be able to understand the rest of the writings answering this question.
Considering that you live in India and at least for once you have paid attention to Indian Media where it has used terms like ‘unjust’, ‘improper’, ‘illegal’, ‘atrocious’, ‘threat to communal harmony’, ‘jungle raaj’ etc. then my dear friend you are in a healthy position to appreciate the relevance of Indian Constitution in everyone’s life.
Have you ever imagined that on what basis you, me and everybody including the media decide that what is correct and what is incorrect? What help us to question the validity of steps taken by the Government to whom we have chosen by the General Election? What it is from where all of us derive the right to be treated as equal, to live in harmony, to not get arrested without any reason, to express our thoughts without any fear, to profess our profession, freedom to travel abroad without any hassle, freedom against social evils like untouchability etc?
The Constitution is one such thing which guarantees us everything which we could have ever imagined to live our life in peace and harmony. All our politicians, be it the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, MP, MLA, in fact administrators like IAS, IPS etc. everybody derive their rights as well as obligations from our Constitution only. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary all are bound to follow the principles of Constitution and none can exceed to its rights which have been guaranteed under Indian Constitution.
Constitution is the only parameter based on which each of us can decide what is meant by good governance and jungle raaj.
The Constitution does not reflect the view of its members alone, but expresses a broad concensus of its time. No large social group or political party has ever questioned its legitimacy.
This is an unusual achievement for the Indian Constitution is that the Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. It could not be chosen directly bu all the people, as there was no universal adult franchise at that time. The Constituent Assembly was elected by the members of the existing Provincial Legislatures. This ensured a fair geographical share of members from all regions of the country.