Norms and Politics

Who was Sir B N Rau and why is it important to remember him in the history of the Indian constitution? This book answers this question by taking us into the years leading to India's independence and the framing of the Indian constitution. In recovering his ideas by revisiting the political context of the day, one understands why he must be remembered and why, unfortunately, he has been forgotten.

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At the twilight of the British rule in India, a little known civil servant, Sir Benegal Narsing Rau (1887-1953) was sought after by the ruling elites - both British and Indian, for his immense knowledge of the nature and working of the constitutions of the world as well as his reputation for being just and impartial between competing political interests. Yet, Rau's ideas and his voice have largely been forgotten today. By examining Rau's constitutional ideas and following its trajectory in late colonial Indian politics, this book shows how the process of the making of the Indian constitution was actually never separated from the politics of conflict that dominated this period. This book demonstrates that it is only by foregrounding this political history that we can simultaneously remember Rau's critical contributions as well as understand why he was forgotten in the first place.