Contested Nation

Manipur

On 26 July 1947, the kingdom of Manipur passed the Manipur Constitution Act. The Constitution was drafted over a 2 month period by a 15 member Constitution Making Committee. However, about two years later this Constitution was abrogated, and Manipur joined the Indian Union.    On this episode, we discuss the only modern Indian state to pass an independent Constitution, the circumstances under which it expired, and what that teaches us about the limits of constitutionalism  Joining us for this very important season finale, we have Dr Malem Ningthouja. He is currently a member of the Editorial board of the journal Revolutionary Democracy, Founder-cum-Chairperson of Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur), Founder-cum-Managing Trustee of the Labour Research and Organisation Foundation (LAROF), and an alternate member of the International Coordination Committee of the International League of People’s Struggle. The episode features a short clip from the band Imphal Talkies. There is a poem on Irabot Singh ‘Our Beloved Leader’, commissioned by the Manipur government on the occasion of his 125th birthday . Lastly, it includes an All India Radio clip on the merger of Manipur with the Indian Union.  References:  1. The Manipur State Constitution Act  [https://www.constitutionofindia.net/historical_constitutions/manipur_state_constitution_act__1947_1st%20January%201947] 2. Diametrical Nationalism: Rulers, Rebels, and Masses in Manipur, Dr. Malem Ningthouja (Book)  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

The Aundh Experiment

In the princely state of Aundh in Maharashtra, 1938 was a rather extraordinary year. The ruler of Aundh, Raja Bhawanrao, stepped down and turned to Mahatma Gandhi to help implement a  Swaraj Constitution in the state. Self-governance and community service were guiding principles of this experiment. The experiment was led by Gandhi, the Raja of Aundh, and a Polish engineer and humanitarian, Maurice Frydman. Upon enactment of the “Aundh State Constitution Act”, Aundh became South Asia's first modern Constitutional republic.  In our latest episode "The Aundh Experiment" we talk about this extraordinary episode in Indian history.  Joining us on this episode is Dr Rinku Lamba, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, NLSIU Bengaluru. Through the conversation, we explore the feasibility of a Gandhian Constitution and how to understand seeming contradictions in Gandhi’s political thought.  The episode features an excerpt from Ambedkar’s speech to the Constituent Assembly in 1946. There are two clips of Gandhi’s favorutie bhajan - Vaishnav Jan To - one performed by the Symphony Orchestra of India and the other commissioned by the Government of India on the occasion of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. There is also a short audio clip from the Oscar winning movie, Gandhi.  References:  1. Another Realism, The Politics of Gandhian Non Violence [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/another-realism-the-politics-of-gandhian-nonviolence/7BE21CF751176FAF880BD41A9E5EF10F], Karuna Mantena  2. An Unusual Raja, Apa Pant (Book)  3. What might a Gandhian constitution have looked like? [https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/what-might-a-gandhian-constitution-have-looked-like-111645537761552.html], Sidin Vaidukut  4. How princely state of Aundh adopted a Gandhian constitution [https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2019/06/21/how-princely-state-of-aundh-adopted-a-gandhian-constitution.html], Nirmal Jovial  5. Constituent Assembly Debates [https://www.constitutionofindia.net/constitution_assembly_debates] See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

Citizenship 2: Assam and the Electoral Roll

In our first episode on citizenship, we focused on the definition of citizenship being discussed within the Assembly. While the Constituent Assembly was still drafting the clauses on citizenship, it tasked BN Rau, the constitutional advisor and the Constituent Assembly Secretariat, a non-political, administrative body with creating India’s electoral roll. But there was a pertinent question that needed to be answered: Who would be on the roll?  Then, as now, Assam emerged as a hotbed where citizenship and identity battles were fought.  Joining us in this episode is Makepeace Sitlhou, an independent journalist covering India's Northeast for several national and international publications. Makepeace takes us through Assam’s complicated journey with identity and citizenship including the role of the influential Assam Students Union, a 1979 electoral exercise that stirred xenophobia in the state, and the flawed structure/incentives underlying the foreigner tribunals in the state.  You can also catch Makepeace on Suno India’s podcast Cyber Democracy [https://www.sunoindia.in/cyber-democracy].  References:  1. The Foreigner [https://fiftytwo.in/story/the-foreigner/], Makepeace Sitlhou 2. Strangers in their own land [https://thebaffler.com/salvos/strangers-in-their-own-land-sitlhou], Makepeace Sitlhou 3. How India Became Democratic, Ornit Sahni (Book)  4. The Spoils of Partition, Joya Chatterji (Book)   5. Constituent Assembly Debates [https://www.constitutionofindia.net/constitution_assembly_debates] 6. The journey from “migration certificate” to “citizenship card” [https://journals.openedition.org/diasporas/5609], Anindita Ghoshal  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

Citizenship 1: Partition and Belonging

In April, 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India was discussing the provisions for citizenship and the debates were largely on administrative points. This was all set to change post the partition. In the wake of the mass migration that followed and the unique situations it created, the bitterness across the nation saw full expression in the citizenship debates. What were they saying? How did the assembly deal with the question of citizenship? What was happening beyond the nation in this period?  Joining us in exploring these questions is Ganeev Kaur Dhillon, former curator of the Partition museum, Amritsar and a lawyer. Together we talk about what the partition resulted in, how different communities dealt with the question of belonging, the ideas that the assembly members proposed and more. The episode features an audio clip from a 'BBC Stories' documentary on Partition. The clip of the assembly discussion is from the mini series, Samvidhaan, available on Rajya Sabha TV. The episode also features an excerpt from Sardar Patel's speech on the Partition. Audio clips from the 1994 Hindi film, 'Mammo' and the 1973 film, 'Garm Hava' can be listened to. An excerpt from an Al Jazeera interview with Krishna Kumar Khanna is featured at the end. References:  https://www.partitionmuseum.org/partition-of-india [https://www.partitionmuseum.org/partition-of-india] Citizenship and the Constitutio [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3565551]n, Gautam Bhatia  The long partition and the making of modern South Asia, by Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar (Book)  Forgetting Partition - Constitutional Amnesia and Nationalism, Kanika Gauba [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44166233] Constituent Assembly Debates [https://www.constitutionofindia.net/constitution_assembly_debates] Can a Muslim be an Indian [https://southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/757/2017/08/IndianMuslim_Pandey.pdf]? Gyanendra Pandey  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

The Other Assembly

The Partition of the sub-continent saw the birth of two different countries, two Constituent Assemblies and two populations with their own set of aspirations. In episode 3 of Contested Nation, we talk about the ‘other’ Assembly, Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly. Pakistan, unlike India, had three different constituent assemblies. Their Constitution in its current form was only passed in the year 1973. So, what was different between the two countries that had similar beginnings? What were the aspirations of the public and the promises of the politicians? Listen in to find out!  Discussing these questions with us is Prof. Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, an associate professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He was born and raised in Lahore and is a historian of modern South Asia. He is the winner of the Karachi Literature Festival Peace Prize and has previously received the Newton International Fellowship for postdoctoral research. Additional reading: Deeya Farrukh, A Critique On Article 2A Of The Constitution [https://courtingthelaw.com/2016/09/07/commentary/a-critique-on-article-2a-of-the-constitution],  Official website of National Assembly of Pakistan [https://na.gov.pk/en/content.php?id=75],  Abhirup Dam, Jogendranath Mandal, the Only Indian Minister in Jinnah’s Cabinet [https://www.thequint.com/news/india/jogendranath-mandal-only-indian-minister-in-muhammad-ali-jinnah-cabinet-pakistan-independence-day-ambedkar-dalits#read-more],  Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality [http://ghazali.net/book1/chapter_3.htm] Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Ideas of Pakistan (New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2017). Under-reconstruction Jain Mandir in Lahore all set to reopen [https://www.dawn.com/news/1682779/under-reconstruction-jain-mandir-in-lahore-all-set-to-reopen] Martin Lau, The Role of Islam in the Legal System of Pakistan Sadiya Aziz, The Constitution of Pakistan: A Contextual Analysis See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.