From the Ramparts (Hardcover)

Even as the final year of the twentieth century makes its presence felt, those in the age group of 70 and above shrink further into a frail minority. Some amongst them will perhaps still remember the Government of India Act, 1935. The statute incorporated provisions that were intended to mark a new beginning in central-provincial relations in imperial India. The reluctance of the national leadership to admit the fact notwithstanding, large chunks of our post-independ- ent Constitution, drafted during 1947-49, were lifted straight out of the 1935 Act. The nation's leaders, there is no question, were great copycats. And they obviously held in great reverence the just-departed colonial masters.

Thereby hangs a tale. In quite a number of instances, the 1935 Act was actually more forward-looking than the Constitution which we, the people of India, gave unto ourselves, or the leaders gave on our behalf. To pick just one example, the 1935 Act ordained that a provincial government would be allowed to start a broadcasting station on receipt of a licence from the central govern- ment.

The text of the Act could not be more explicit: yes, the centre would have to issue a licence before a provincial regime could begin to operate a broadcast- ing station, but this was just a formality; such a licence should be issued as a matter of course to whichever provincial regime applies for it. This was an emi- nently sensible approach. The British knew their oats. India constituted a far.