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The formation of the Constituent Assembly was a historic event in the pages of our country’s past. The Constituent Assembly was the testament of years of subjugation and exploitation at the hands of the colonial Raj and finally triumphing over imperialism. The Constituent Assembly was synonymous with the major political developments that took place in the 1940s in India as it was tasked with drafting the Constitution of free India. The article provides a look into how the Constituent Assembly was formed. The Indian Constituent Assembly was a representation of the democratic ideals that India envisioned to embody in its contexts.
Indian Constituent Assembly
Some interesting facts about the Constituent Assembly will be discussed in the following sections. The Provincial Assembly in India was responsible for creating the Indian Constituent Assembly. The members of the Constituent Assembly later became eminent Parliamentary members after the 1950s. The birth of the Indian Constituent Assembly was rooted in radical political practices, particularly with Communist politics. The conception of the Assembly was credited to M. N. Roy in the year 1934. The Indian National Congress, which was a major player in the development of political consciousness amongst Indians in the latter half of the 19th century, was crucial in popularising the demand for the Assembly in 1935.
Formation of Constituent Assembly
The formation of the Constituent Assembly was not the work of any singular person but was the result of years of political developments and the minds of several of the leading politicians at that time. The formation of the Indian Constituent Assembly can be surmised in the following manner:
- M. N. Roy pioneered the idea of the Assembly in 1934
- The INC accepted the idea and popularised it in political circles by 1935.
- In 1939, Rajagopalachari proposed for the election of the Assembly based on the universal franchise after the rejection of the Government of India Act 1935
- In 1940, Lord Linlithgow offered to expand the office of the Governor-General and appointed a War Council.
- It was again in 1946, during the Cabinet Mission that elections for the first time were held.
- Members were located based on the transferable vote (single) from provinces under a process of proportional representation.
- It was founded in November of 1946 and was dissolved in January 1950.
Drafting of the Constitution
The Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Assembly was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The drafting of the constitution occurred from all aspects of society and involved many different castes and religions. The president of the organisation was Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The Constitution took almost 3 years for its completion and was continued by the provincially elected members of the Assembly (389, reduced to 299 after the riots and the Partition). The constitution was drafted in 11 sessions over 165 days.
Legacy of the Constituent Assembly
The legacy of the Constituent Assembly had produced mixed results, while its historic importance was undeniable. Soon after the release of the results of the elections and Congress winning the majority, bloody riots broke out. Under the Mountbatten Plan, the partition of the country was finalized and a separate Constituent Assembly was formed for Pakistan in 1946.
Conclusion
The Indian Constituent Assembly was created for the sole purpose of drafting and making the Indian Constitution, the single most important document in our country. The Indian Constitution declared the sovereignty, freedom, and legitimacy of India as a country free from the subjugation of British dominion and established the country’s beliefs and ideals.
