#THE PROCESS OF MUNICIPAL

 

1. THE PROCESS OF MUNICIPAL DEMOCRACY REACHED THE PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL SPHERES IN 1909 WITH THE MORLEY – MINTO REFORMS. TEN YEARS LATER, THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE INDIAN ARMY IN WORLD WAR I PROMPTED ANOTHER MAJOR DOSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERALIZATION, THE MONTAGU – CHELMSFORD REFORMS

2. AS FAR BACK AS THE 1820S, THE CALCUTTA JOURNAL PUBLISHED BY RAJA RAM MOHAN ROY WAS DEBATING CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH AMERICA. ANOTHER EARLY EXAMPLE OF BRITISH – INSPIRED CONSTITUTIONALISM DATES TO 1895, WHEN BAL GANGADHAR TILAK LAUNCHED A SWARAJ BILL, AIMING AT HOME RULE.

3. WE ARE USED TO THINKING OF 1950 AS THE YEAR WHEN INDEPENDENT INDIA ENACTED ITS CONSTITUTION, BUT ITS ROOTS, FOR BETTER AND WORSE, GO MUCH FURTHER BACK. ARGUABLY, THE PROCESS BEGAN IN THE 1870S WITH LOCAL SELF – GOVERNMENT, BASED ON MUNICIPALITIES AND CITY FATHERS ELECTED BY MIDDLE – CLASS INDIANS AND RUNNING KEY CITIES LIKE BOMBAY AND CALCUTTA.

4. WE FORGET THAT MAGNA CARTA IN 1215 WAS MOTIVATED, NOT BY ANY DEMOCRATIC URGE, BUT BY KING JOHN’S NEED FOR TAXES FROM HIS BARONS. IT WAS AN EARLY EXPRESSION OF THE RULE OF LAW, WHEREBY PEERS OF THE REALM IMPOSED LEGAL CURBS ON A SOVEREIGN EXECUTIVE, IN RETURN FOR TAXES AND MILITARY SERVICE.

5. THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION, AMERICAN CONSTITUTION, WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, WAS THE MODERN WORLD’S FIRST WRITTEN CONSTITUTION, UNLIKE THE INFORMAL BRITISH VERSION IT REPLACED, AND IT SET THE FASHION FOR WRITTEN CONSTITUTIONS THE WORLD OVER.

(Photo-The Members of the Interim-Government of India, Communications Member Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar; Defence Member Sardar Baldev Singh; President of the Indian National Congress Acharya J B Kripalani; Home and Information and Broadcasting Member Vallabhai Patel; Vice-President of the Interim Government Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; Lord Mountbatten; President All India Muslim League Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Finance Member Liaquat Ali Khan. In the last row are Lord Ismay (R) and Advisor to the Viceroy Sir Eric Melville (L).Date: 7th June 1947.)

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21-8-2021