CAPF AC 2021 Q92: Indian Polity – Constitutional Framework & Development
- (a) Mahatma Gandhi
- (b) Sarojini Naidu
- (c) B. R. Ambedkar
- (d) Somnath Lahiri
Answer: (c) B. R. Ambedkar
Explanation
A life of contradictions
How to think: the quote warns that political equality without social and economic equality is dangerous.
This was the lifelong concern of Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
He said it in his last speech to the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949.
The idea in his words: in politics there would be one man, one vote, one value.
In social and economic life that principle would still be denied.
He warned that those who suffer from inequality might blow up the structure of political democracy.
| His three warnings in that speech | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hold fast to constitutional methods | Give up civil disobedience and satyagraha |
| Avoid hero-worship | Bhakti in politics leads to dictatorship |
| Make political democracy a social democracy | Liberty, equality and fraternity must go together |
Answer: (c) B. R. Ambedkar.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of the Constituent Assembly and had died in 1948.
- (b) Incorrect. Sarojini Naidu was a member but did not make this speech.
- (c) CORRECT. B. R. Ambedkar said this in the Assembly on 25 November 1949.
- (d) Incorrect. Somnath Lahiri is known for calling the Assembly British-made.
Key point
Ambedkar, 25 November 1949: a life of contradictions; one man one vote one value; social democracy; grammar of anarchy. The Constitution was adopted the next day, 26 November 1949.
Remember
Life of contradictions: Ambedkar, 25 November 1949.
Common mistakes
- Guessing Gandhi, who never sat in the Constituent Assembly.
- Mixing up this quote with Nehru's Tryst with Destiny speech of August 1947.
- Confusing Ambedkar's warning with Somnath Lahiri's remark about the British plan.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the quote speaks of social and economic inequality, and it refers to 26 January 1950 as a date still to come. The Chairman of the Drafting Committee closing the debate fits both.
Sources
- Constituent Assembly Debates, Volume XI, 25 November 1949 (speech of Dr B. R. Ambedkar)
- NCERT Class XI Political Science — Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 10: The Philosophy of the Constitution