



Celebrating a legacy of shared differences
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Why do we celebrate 26 January? A general survey will present a divided view. Some see it as a routine government event, while others associate it with the nation’s pride and honour.
This division of opinion is our shared strength. We have a unique ability to keep moving ahead while haranguing about our differences. The lumbering journey of the last 76 years is an inspiring tale.
The 299 members of the Constituent Assembly, tasked with writing the Constitution for an independent India, had deep philosophical differences. For instance, Baba Saheb Ambedkar presented the Hindu Code Bill. It had a proposal for legal settlement of property in case a Hindu man or a woman died without writing a will.
It advocated equal distribution of the property among the widow and the sons and daughters of the deceased, mooted changes in Hindu marriage practices that gave Hindu women the right to seek divorce. There was a stiff opposition. Ambedkar and Nehru tried to convince the opposition, but in vain.
Reservations for minorities, scheduled castes and tribes in government institutions too attracted vociferous arguments. Sardar Patel was against any reservation but Ambedkar insisted on it. Pandit Nehru on 29 May, 1949, said: “It won’t be correct to remove reservations for the scheduled castes and tribes.
I don’t view it as a problem that a particular religion is in minority and that’s why it should be given reservation. But I consider it a problem if a community is vulnerable and backward and that’s why it should get reservation. I am happy that the provision of reservation is being granted for just 10 years." Tajmul Hussain, a member from Bihar, denounced reservation in government institutions, “In
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