A LIGHT FOR OUR PATH: EXCERPTS FROM THE CLOSING SPEECH OF THE FIRST CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF INDIA BY DR. B. R AMBEDKAR, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution. “… my mind is so full for the future of our country that I feel I ought to take this occasion to give expression to some of my reflections thereon. On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country. What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is never that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lose it a second time? It is this thought that makes me most anxious for the future. What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. In the invasion of Sind by Mahommed – Bin – Kassim, the military commanders of King Dahar accepted bribes from the agents of Mahommed – Bin – Kassim and refused to fight on the side of their King. It was Jaichand who invited Mahommed Ghori to invade India and fight against Pritvi Raj and promised him the help of himself and the Solanki kings. When Shivaji was fighting for the liberation of Hindus , the other Maratha noblemen and the Rajput kings were fighting the battle on the side Moghul emperors.When the British were trying to destroy the Sikh rulers, Gulab Singh, their principal commander sat silent and did not help to save the Sikh kingdom. In 1857, when a large part of India had declared a war of independence against the British, the Sikhs stood and watched the event as silent spectators. Will history repeat itself ?It is this thought that fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood” Regards, Gerry.
