Petitions
Rajendra Lal Roy
17 December 1946.
Rajendra Lal Roy, a pleader (lawyer) from Barisal, Bengal, wrote to the Constituent Assembly on 17 December 1946, days after the Assembly first convened. He warned that certain decisions being contemplated would lead to the failure of the Indian National Congress and the unravelling of Indian nationhood.
Roy’s concern was the strength of the Centre. If residuary powers were vested in the provinces, the republic would be unworkable. Provincial governments would override central legislation, provincialism would grow, and national industries would stall. If England could govern India from Britain, he asked, there was no reason an Indian government could not govern India from Delhi. He urged the Assembly to bury communal representation and provincial autonomy, which he called the two deadliest enemies of Indian nationalism. He wanted an all-India administrative service modelled on the ICS and IPS, recruited from the best students, appointed and removable only by the central government.
Roy also pressed for national economic planning to begin immediately alongside constitution-making, arguing that delay would worsen communal tensions and leave India unable to compete with nations already rebuilding after the war.
The petition is brief, written in ten numbered points, mixing constitutional argument with broader political exhortation. Roy credited English education with giving Indians the idea of thinking of India as a whole.
Honorable Members of the Constituent Assembly.
Sirs,
May I have the opportunity of placing before you certain points, which I consider, if not seriously taken into account now, will bring a total failure of Indian National Congress.
1. Since India has been rightly described as Republic of Independent India, or “India Sovereign Republic” as you call it, it becomes meaningless if the residuary power is vested in the Provinces, and becomes unconstitutional & unworkable as the components, though not, the Sovereign power, shall have the right to override the legislature made by the centre, and will lead to unnecessary complications.
2. Secondly this will lead to growth of provincialism in its crudest form without helping robust growth of Indian Nationalism, and would stand seriously in the way of development of National Industries, without which you certainly cannot re-build India and place it as a foremost power in the world within a short time.
3. The idea of thinking India as a whole [unclear] must admit is the greatest gift of English Education in India, and this was given effect to by introduction of administration by I.C.S & I.P.S recruited from England from amongst the best students. Independent India should also take up this idea of having the best students for purposes of administration by introducing such a system at the centre, who will be approved by the central Government and removable by the central Government only.
4. If England could rule India from Britain, why we shall be unable to do it, I really fail to understand. Burry once for all communal representation & provincial autonomy, the two deadliest enemies of Indian Nationalism, when you are drawing up the laws of “India Sovereign Republic” or call it “Republic of India.”
5. Provinces shall enjoy that much of independence as would be offered by the Central Sovereign body, India Government.
6. If at this stage you would give up the fundamental rights which India Govt possesses even today, rest assure, the whole structure would tumble down very soon, and evil forces in the country will be let loose.
7. Along with the work of framing the structure of Independent India, I hope & trust, you shall be very busy with works of your National planning, simultaneously and that would ease the communal tension and help India to develop industrially too, and the evil forces against Indian Nationalism will also be set back.
8. If you would make delay in the matter of national planning it would be very difficult for India to cope with the communal tension and also to compete with other nations who are now very busy in rebuilding nations after the war. This will also solve the unemployment questions and also give greater strength to Indian National Congress.
9. Let us not be still deluded any more too much with individualism and capitalism.
10. Let our action be based upon “Truth, Love, & Purity” and be free from falsehood deception and hypocrisy, and I am sure no one will be able to frustrate our noble mission, when once we have begun it.
Yours faithfully.
Rajendra Lal R0 y, pleader
Barisal
Bengal
17/12/46.