Raucous debate, lost opportunity

The Constitution debate in Parliament was lost in partisan squabbles instead of discussing new challenges before the nation

India's Constitution turned 75 last month. Among its impressive achievements are establishing a thriving democracy against all odds, making the difficult but morally correct choice of excluding no one from casting their franchise, and taking yeomen steps to level the sociopolitical field in a society riven by millennia-old inequalities. The framework of laws that it proposed has helped hold together a country of incredible diversity and contradictions. So, when Parliament decided to mark the anniversary with a special debate, it only seemed apt. The discussions that spanned over four days, though, were less about the Constitution and more about contemporary politics.