IS IT THE TIME TO COME UP WITH A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR INDIA ?

[Arlo Griffiths]

What concrete changes do you propose, which would better suit the Indian
context? Is the problem really the Indian Constitution? Are people really
complying with it in the first place?
    I cannot imagine that the Indian Constitution really allows all you
suggest in your final paragraph.

-- Arlo Griffiths

CNWS / Instituut Kern
Universiteit Leiden
Postbus 9515
2300 RA  Leiden
the Netherlands

tel.: +31-71-5272979


----------
>From: "Anand M. Sharan" <asharan at ENGR.MUN.CA>
>To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: IS IT THE TIME TO COME UP WITH A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR INDIA ?
>Date: zon, 3 sep 2000 12:45 PM
>

> Dear Mr. Parmar:
>                  Thank you very much for your comments -"
>  "  .
>           If the constitution is made by persons without full knowledge
> then, do you think it is supposed to work ? What laws will you enforce, if
> those appropriate laws are not there ? Who will enforce the law ? If the
> criminals get into power, do you expect them to enforce the law by
> themselves ?
>
>                I do not know, how current you are with the nexus between
> criminals and politicians ?  I was having discussions with a new lawyer
> here in Canada, about the constitution , and the power sharing between
> states, and the center . He said that if center takes over, and if they are
> more corrupt or criminals of higher degree then, would it be the solution ?
> My answer to that is - It is very easy in a country like India  to become a
> leader of a gang who can control smaller areas like a state but, it would
> be a great challenge to his skills to become a leader of all criminals from
> different states which are very diverse group of people.
>                So, let us not bury our heads in sand, and assume that every
> thing is going perfect in India . It is an irony that when  one or few
> states are going through the massive law and order problems, people of
> other states remain indifferent . If this type of thing goes unchecked
> then , it becomes a way of life . Any one can see the examples of
> Colombia . The problem has become much bigger now . People are living on by
> growing drugs . Changing their way of life would be difficult . Similar is
> the situation in South East Asia like Burma, Laos , parts of pakistan, and
> possibly in India.
>                 Once these criminals start governing states, such a type of
> business is very lucrative . What appears to be a theoretical problem, will
> become reality .
>
>                 Now, coming back to the type of constitution, what is
> happening in some of the states in India, would not happen in Western
> European countries or North American Countries. Human beings are all the
> same but, these countries have gone through many types of problems, and
> evolved over them . For example, when I was visiting San Francisco, the
> history of crime there was so immense, that the worst crime infected states
> in India would not come any where near that situation. But now, they have
> things under far better control.
>                   It happened in Quebec. Some people had kidnaped a
> minister . Immediately, the Prime Minister invoked the War Measures Act,
> and got hold of the control on the problems .
>                   So, the sanctity of the constitution , a constitution
> which was not right in the first place, does not mean a thing . Ultimately,
> that action is right which is good for the masses, and not for the
> criminals. Right now, the criminals have got into the ministries, have  got
> all the police force to guard them against other gangs, and ordinary people
> are left at the mercy of robbers, dacoits, and extorsionists .  If this is
> what the constitution allows, I am not for it .
>
> Regards,
>
> Anand M. Sharan