On 26 July 1947, the kingdom of Manipur passed the Manipur Constitution Act. The Constitution was drafted over a 2 month period by a 15 member Constitution Making Committee. However, about two years later this Constitution was abrogated, and Manipur joined the Indian Union. 

On this episode, we discuss the only modern Indian state to pass an independent Constitution, the circumstances under which it expired, and what that teaches us about the limits of constitutionalism 

Joining us for this very important season finale, we have Dr Malem Ningthouja. He is currently a member of the Editorial board of the journal Revolutionary Democracy, Founder-cum-Chairperson of Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur), Founder-cum-Managing Trustee of the Labour Research and Organisation Foundation (LAROF), and an alternate member of the International Coordination Committee of the International League of People’s Struggle.

The episode features a short clip from the band Imphal Talkies. There is a poem on Irabot Singh ‘Our Beloved Leader’, commissioned by the Manipur government on the occasion of his 125th birthday . Lastly, it includes an All India Radio clip on the merger of Manipur with the Indian Union. 

References: 

1. The Manipur State Constitution Act 

2. Diametrical Nationalism: Rulers, Rebels, and Masses in Manipur, Dr. Malem Ningthouja (Book) 

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In the princely state of Aundh in Maharashtra, 1938 was a rather extraordinary year. The ruler of Aundh, Raja Bhawanrao, stepped down and turned to Mahatma Gandhi to help implement a  Swaraj Constitution in the state. Self-governance and community service were guiding principles of this experiment. The experiment was led by Gandhi, the Raja of Aundh, and a Polish engineer and humanitarian, Maurice Frydman. Upon enactment of the “Aundh State Constitution Act”, Aundh became South Asia's first modern Constitutional republic. 

In our latest episode "The Aundh Experiment" we talk about this extraordinary episode in Indian history. 

Joining us on this episode is Dr Rinku Lamba, Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, NLSIU Bengaluru. Through the conversation, we explore the feasibility of a Gandhian Constitution and how to understand seeming contradictions in Gandhi’s political thought. 

The episode features an excerpt from Ambedkar’s speech to the Constituent Assembly in 1946. There are two clips of Gandhi’s favorutie bhajan - Vaishnav Jan To - one performed by the Symphony Orchestra of India and the other commissioned by the Government of India on the occasion of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. There is also a short audio clip from the Oscar winning movie, Gandhi. 

References: 

1. Another Realism, The Politics of Gandhian Non Violence, Karuna Mantena 
2. An Unusual Raja, Apa Pant (Book) 
3. What might a Gandhian constitution have looked like?, Sidin Vaidukut 
4. How princely state of Aundh adopted a Gandhian constitution, Nirmal Jovial 
5. Constituent Assembly Debates

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In our first episode on citizenship, we focused on the definition of citizenship being discussed within the Assembly. While the Constituent Assembly was still drafting the clauses on citizenship, it tasked BN Rau, the constitutional advisor and the Constituent Assembly Secretariat, a non-political, administrative body with creating India’s electoral roll. But there was a pertinent question that needed to be answered: Who would be on the roll? 

Then, as now, Assam emerged as a hotbed where citizenship and identity battles were fought. 

Joining us in this episode is Makepeace Sitlhou, an independent journalist covering India's Northeast for several national and international publications. Makepeace takes us through Assam’s complicated journey with identity and citizenship including the role of the influential Assam Students Union, a 1979 electoral exercise that stirred xenophobia in the state, and the flawed structure/incentives underlying the foreigner tribunals in the state. 

You can also catch Makepeace on Suno India’s podcast Cyber Democracy. 

References: 

1. The Foreigner, Makepeace Sitlhou
2. Strangers in their own land, Makepeace Sitlhou
3. How India Became Democratic, Ornit Sahni (Book) 
4. The Spoils of Partition, Joya Chatterji (Book)  
5. Constituent Assembly Debates
6. The journey from “migration certificate” to “citizenship card”, Anindita Ghoshal 

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In April, 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India was discussing the provisions for citizenship and the debates were largely on administrative points. This was all set to change post the partition. In the wake of the mass migration that followed and the unique situations it created, the bitterness across the nation saw full expression in the citizenship debates. What were they saying? How did the assembly deal with the question of citizenship? What was happening beyond the nation in this period? 

Joining us in exploring these questions is Ganeev Kaur Dhillon, former curator of the Partition museum, Amritsar and a lawyer. Together we talk about what the partition resulted in, how different communities dealt with the question of belonging, the ideas that the assembly members proposed and more.

The episode features an audio clip from a 'BBC Stories' documentary on Partition. The clip of the assembly discussion is from the mini series, Samvidhaan, available on Rajya Sabha TV. The episode also features an excerpt from Sardar Patel's speech on the Partition. Audio clips from the 1994 Hindi film, 'Mammo' and the 1973 film, 'Garm Hava' can be listened to. An excerpt from an Al Jazeera interview with Krishna Kumar Khanna is featured at the end.

References: 

https://www.partitionmuseum.org/partition-of-india
Citizenship and the Constitution, Gautam Bhatia 
The long partition and the making of modern South Asia, by Vazira Fazila-Yacoobali Zamindar (Book) 
Forgetting Partition - Constitutional Amnesia and Nationalism, Kanika Gauba
Constituent Assembly Debates
Can a Muslim be an Indian? Gyanendra Pandey 

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The Partition of the sub-continent saw the birth of two different countries, two Constituent Assemblies and two populations with their own set of aspirations. In episode 3 of Contested Nation, we talk about the ‘other’ Assembly, Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly. Pakistan, unlike India, had three different constituent assemblies. Their Constitution in its current form was only passed in the year 1973. So, what was different between the two countries that had similar beginnings? What were the aspirations of the public and the promises of the politicians? Listen in to find out! 

Discussing these questions with us is Prof. Dr Ali Usman Qasmi, an associate professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He was born and raised in Lahore and is a historian of modern South Asia. He is the winner of the Karachi Literature Festival Peace Prize and has previously received the Newton International Fellowship for postdoctoral research.

Additional reading:

Deeya Farrukh, A Critique On Article 2A Of The Constitution, 
Official website of National Assembly of Pakistan, 
Abhirup Dam, Jogendranath Mandal, the Only Indian Minister in Jinnah’s Cabinet, 
Abdus Sattar Ghazali, Islamic Pakistan: Illusions & Reality
Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Ideas of Pakistan (New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2017).
Under-reconstruction Jain Mandir in Lahore all set to reopen
Martin Lau, The Role of Islam in the Legal System of Pakistan
Sadiya Aziz, The Constitution of Pakistan: A Contextual Analysis

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In 2017, when Hadiya married Shafin Jahan, after having converted from Hinduism to Islam, the Kerala High Court vehemently challenged the legitimacy of the marriage. They retorted that it had occurred without her parent’s permission and ran against prevailing social norms.

How does the state continue to regulate women’s choice and marital desire? In this episode, we explore the tension between community practice and that of individual choice when it comes to love and desire. What would a fundamental right to marry a person of one’s choice look like? Tune into episode 2 of the Contested Nation 'Love and Desire' with Madhavi Menon. 

Joining us we have Madhavi Menon, who is a Professor of English at Ashoka University, and Director of the Centre for Studies in Gender and Sexuality. She specialises in queer theory, tackling questions of desire, sexuality and identity. She is a champion of non-identitarian politics that takes seriously the desires and fantasies that weaves the tapestry of our everyday lives.

References:

Shakesqueer: A Queer Companion to the Complete Works of Shakespeare,
Indifference to Difference: Towards a Queer Universalism
Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India 
The Law of Desire: Rulings on Sex and Sexuality in India
Center for Studies in Gender and Sexuality

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In the winter of 2019, across India there were shouts of revolution and freedom, of the Constitution and secularism, of the freedom of speech and the right to protest non-violently. Not too long after, there were severe restrictions imposed by the government - preventing gatherings and protests, jailing student activists and even leading to a ban on protests at one point. 

But how can this be? Doesn’t our Constitution guarantee us the right to freedom of speech and expression? Aren’t peaceful, non-violent protests baked into the DNA of our nation? 

This episode explores the complicated history of restrictions on right to speech and why the right remains heavily contested in India today. Through the episode we explore the discussions on the free speech in the Constituent Assembly and the first amendment to the Constitution. 

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Did you know that some members of the Assembly wanted to include a Fundamental Right to choose your partner? That the city-state of Aundh was the first Constitutional republic in India? Why was a report on the accession of Hyderabad not released until 2013? What really went into creating the Constitution of India?

The Constituent Assembly of India met over a period of nearly 3 years, to discuss, debate and decide upon the rules and norms that would govern independent India. Unlike the rosy depiction in popular history, the Assembly members were bitterly divided on their vision for the nation. At its core, the Assembly was discussing what it means to be Indian? And what are the values that would underpin the nation? Questions that we continue to grapple with in modern-day India.

Contested Nation is a podcast produced by The Equals Project and Suno India, that explores both, the questions of identity that were being discussed in the Assembly, and the Union that was being forged outside its hallowed halls. Each episode will explore one issue that was crucial to the Constitution and the creation of India, and discuss its continued importance today.

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