We, the people of India...: How they debated the first sentence of the Constitution
Republic Day ever since, begins with the Preamble. It may not be the law in itself but it is the ideological foundation of the Constitution, the broad principles on which the Constitution was constructed. That's why it took a long debate for the members of the Constituent Assembly, which framed the Constitution, to settle what all will go into the Preamble.
In fact, the very first sentence was finalised after a vigorous debate. It reads: «We, the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens:...»
The Preamble was the last subject to be debated and passed by the Constituent Assembly on October 17, 1949. When Dr.
BR Ambedkar read out the draft, the first and strongest reactions came from Maulana Hasrat Mohani.
Maulana Mohani's objections
A maverick man of many parts, Mohani was a freedom-fighter who is said to have coined the slogan «Inquilab Zindabad»; was an Urdu poet (he wrote the popular ghazal 'Chupke chupke raat din'… which was sung by Ghulam Ali and featured in the movie 'Niqah'); was one of the founders of the Communist Party of India; and a devotee of Lord Krishna who celebrated Janmashtami.
Mohani suggested that instead of «Sovereign Democratic Republic», the wording should be either «Sovereign Federal Republic» or «Sovereign Independent Republic”. Mohani criticised Jawaharlal Nehru and Ambedkar for wrong choice of words which did not gel with the idea of independent India.
