When Dr. B.R. Ambedkar introduced the draft Constitution in the Constituent Assembly in 1948, he spoke of introducing a dual polity, consisting of “the Union at the Centre and the States at the periphery each endowed with sovereign powers to be exercised in the field assigned to them respectively by the Constitution.”
He underlined the deliberate attempt of its makers to describe India as a Union of States and not a federation, an attempt reflected in Article 1 of the Constitution.
India’s states are a mosaic— of conflicting ethnicities, religions, languages, political aspirations and socio-economic handicaps. When the nation came into being, the quasi-federal structure was adopted to both allow for the preservation of unique regional identities and to ensure the continuance of the nation as a harmonious whole, with a strong Centre.
The Constituent Assembly had many reservations on the subject of federalism.
Some members were wholly against it, such as Brajeshwar Prasad, who called federalism a “conservative force in politics.” and said that it was “entirely unsuited to the needs of a collectivist age.”
“Vast plans of national development await immediate enforcement,” he said.
Others, like Shri L. Krishnaswami Bharathi, were worried about a strong Centre and weakened provinces. “I am inclined to think that in actual working of the Constitution this course of taking more powers over to the Centre will be a fruitful source of friction,” he said.
Indeed, since Independence, multiple State-Centre and State-State conflicts have roiled the nation. Centre-State disputes have ranged from those centred on purely fiscal issues— such as the distribution of funds and the allocation of resources, to those about political autonomy— such as those over the role of the Governor, or those relating to a wish for regional identity to not be subsumed under Central command — such as the linguistic rebellions of the Southern States.
We at The Hindu take a look at the unique nature of federalism in India and the manifold disputes and controversies that have arisen over the past 75 years.
