Roots of democracy and the Constitution

Imagine your class has to choose the trip for this year. In one class, the teacher simply decides. In another, everyone says what they want, the class talks it over, and then votes. The second class is working like a democracy (loktantra): the power to decide lies with the people.

As you learnt earlier, in a democracy the source of power and authority is the citizens. They elect representatives through free and fair elections. Democracy stands on freedom, equality, justice, rights and duties: people can vote, speak their minds and take part in decisions.

"How big is India's democracy?" India, that is Bharat, has more than 140 crore people and, in 2024, more than 96.8 crore voters. That makes it the largest democracy in the world.

India's democracy is guided by the Constitution (samvidhan):

• it was adopted on 26 November 1949;
• it came into force on 26 January 1950 (which is why we celebrate Republic Day then).

It guarantees and protects citizens' Fundamental Rights, says no citizen may be discriminated against because of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and encourages people to take part at the national, state and local levels.

Watch out for the two dates: 26 November 1949 is when it was adopted; 26 January 1950 is when it came into force.

"Did democracy arrive in India only in 1950?" No. The book says its spirit grew over a long history:

• the Vedic sabhā, samiti and vidhata made decisions together;
• there were early republics (gaṇas or saṁghas);
• kings ruled in consultation with assemblies, ministers and officers.

A verse from the Aikyamatya Sūktam of the Ṛigveda (10.191.3, Fig. 6.1) says: "Their counsel is one and the same; their assembly is one. Their mind is one..." It praises thinking together, discussing together, and acting with one purpose: consultation, consensus and shared responsibility.

The Buddhist Saṁgha, the community of monks set up by the Buddha, also worked democratically: members debated, chose their leader and decided by voting.

Later, invasions disrupted some parts of the country, and by the 19th century the British ruled most of the subcontinent. Foreign rule limited people's say in their own government. But the long freedom struggle revived democratic ideas.

Writing the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946, before independence. It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days to write the world's longest written constitution. Dr B.R. Ambedkar was Chairman of the Drafting Committee. Its members drew on India's own traditions and on democratic ideas from around the world.

They did not want a rigid rule book. They wanted a living document that could change lawfully without losing its core values. So Article 368 allows the Constitution to be amended.

Two key ideas.

• Popular sovereignty: the State gets its authority from the people. "Sovereignty" comes from the Latin superanus, 'supreme'.
• Universal Adult Franchise: every citizen aged 18 or above has the right to vote (matadhikar), by secret ballot.