What shaped the Constitution

The Constitution had three big influences: the freedom movement, India's own heritage, and other countries' constitutions.

1. The freedom struggle. Many freedom fighters were Assembly members, and brought their values: equality, justice, freedom, fraternity, protecting India's cultural heritage, and using the Constitution as a tool to reach these goals.

The struggle also helped answer the 'how' questions: How does every adult get the vote? How do we keep legislature, executive and judiciary separate? How do we guarantee everyone's fundamental rights? How should the Constitution be changed? How should the Centre and the States relate?

2. Our own heritage. Some ideas are deep in Indian culture:

• accepting that people can have different points of view
• Nature as sacred
• the love of learning
• respect for women
• *vasudhaiva kutumbakam*: 'the world is one family'
• *sarve bhavantu sukhinah*: 'may all beings be happy'

They're all in the Constitution, sometimes in different words.

Remember the history chapters? Janapadas, saṅghas, kings and their councils, Kauṭilya's saptānga, rājadharma. India has long stressed the duties and role of people in governance. So it was natural to include Fundamental Duties.

3. Other countries. An old Vedic prayer says: *ā no bhadrāh kratavo yantu viśhwatah*, 'let noble thoughts come to me from every side'. So the makers studied the constitutions of France, the USA, the UK, Ireland, Australia and others:

France's 1789 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen' helped spread ideas of equality, liberty and justice around the world. Borrowing good ideas openly isn't weakness, and the very idea of doing it comes from the Vedas!