INDIAN
CONSTITUTION &
PREAMBLE
KARTIKEY CHOUDHARY
,Making of the Constitution
DEMAND FOR A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
It was in 1934 that the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India was put
forward for the first time by M. N. Roy, a pioneer of communist
movement in India. In 1935, the Indian National Congress (INC), for the first
time, officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution
of India. In 1938, Jawaharlal Nehru, on behalf the INC declared that ‘the
Constitution of free India must be framed, without outside interference, by a
Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult franchise’.
, The demand was finally accepted in principle by the British Government in
what is known as the ‘August Offer’ of 1940. In 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a
member of the cabinet, came to India with a draft proposal of the British
Government on the framing of an independent Constitution to be adopted
after the World War II. The Cripps Proposals were rejected by the Muslim
League which wanted India to be divided into two autonomous states with
two separate Constituent Assemblies. Finally, a Cabinet Mission1 was sent to
India. While it rejected the idea of two Constituent Assemblies, it put forth a
scheme for the Constituent Assembly which more or less satisfied the
Muslim League.
CONSTITUTION &
PREAMBLE
KARTIKEY CHOUDHARY
,Making of the Constitution
DEMAND FOR A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
It was in 1934 that the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India was put
forward for the first time by M. N. Roy, a pioneer of communist
movement in India. In 1935, the Indian National Congress (INC), for the first
time, officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution
of India. In 1938, Jawaharlal Nehru, on behalf the INC declared that ‘the
Constitution of free India must be framed, without outside interference, by a
Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult franchise’.
, The demand was finally accepted in principle by the British Government in
what is known as the ‘August Offer’ of 1940. In 1942, Sir Stafford Cripps, a
member of the cabinet, came to India with a draft proposal of the British
Government on the framing of an independent Constitution to be adopted
after the World War II. The Cripps Proposals were rejected by the Muslim
League which wanted India to be divided into two autonomous states with
two separate Constituent Assemblies. Finally, a Cabinet Mission1 was sent to
India. While it rejected the idea of two Constituent Assemblies, it put forth a
scheme for the Constituent Assembly which more or less satisfied the
Muslim League.
