Topic Of The Day:-“The 1947 singularity”
In the debates on India’s contemporary history, the meaning and significance of 1947 and of the framing of the Constitution have always been contested. Did the Constitution mark a moment of discontinuity with the colonial past, and a desire to transform Indian political and social structures? Or was it simply a transfer of political power and a change of rulers, leaving underlying institutional arrangements intact? Supporters of the second view marshal a formidable array of arguments to support their case that the Constitution was simply a continuation of what existed before, with a few cosmetic changes. They point out that two-thirds of the Constitution replicates the 1935 Government of India Act, that key enablers of colonial executive dominance such as the ordinance-making power and Emergency powers were carried over, and that the Constitution expressly endorsed existing colonial laws. This interpretation has sometimes been validated as well by the Supreme Court, which once pointed out that the Constitution “did not seek to destroy the past institutions; it raised an edifice on what existed.”
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Contemporary
Meaning: Living or occurring at the same time.
Example: “the event was recorded by a contemporary historian”
2) Contested
Meaning: Engage in competition to attain (a position of power).
Example: “she declared her intention to contest the presidency”
Synonyms: Enter, Take part in
3) Underlying
Meaning: Be the cause or basis of (something).
Example: “the fundamental issue which underlies the conflict”
Synonyms: Fundamental, Basic
Antonyms: Subordinate
4) Replicates
Meaning: Make an exact copy of; reproduce.
Example: “it might be impractical to replicate Eastern culture in the west”
Synonyms: Copy, Reproduce
5) Validated
Meaning: Check or prove the validity or accuracy of.
Example: “all analytical methods should be validated in respect of accuracy”
Synonyms: Check, Prove
