Raucous debate, lost opportunity

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

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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.