Answer:
(i) The constitution does not reflect the
views of its members alone. It expresses a broad consensus of its time.
(ii)
Many countries of the world have had to rewrite their constitution afresh
because the basic rules were not accepted to all major social groups or
political parties.
(iii)
The Constituent Assembly represented the people of India. There was no
universal adult franchise at that time. So the Constituent Assembly could not
have been chosen directly by all the people of India.
(iv)
In social terms, the Assembly represented members from different language
groups, castes, classes, religions and occupations. It was elected by the
members of the existing provincial legislatures, ensuring a fair geographical
share of members from all the regions of the country.
(v)
The Constituent Assembly worked in a systematic, open and consensual manner.
First, some basic principles were declared and agreed upon. Then a Drafting
Committee chaired by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar prepared a draft constitution for
discussion. These documents were thoroughly studied with several debates and then
presented.
Over
the last half a century, several groups have questioned some provisions of the
constitution. But no large social group or political party has ever questioned
the legitimacy of the constitution itself. This is an unusual achievement for
any constitution.
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