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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