Quotes Flashcards
(104 cards)
1
Q
V D Savarkar on the War of 1857
A
For the War of 1857 shall not cease till the revolutionary arrives, striking slavery into dust, elevating liberty to the throne…. The war began on the 10th of May 1857 is not over on the 10th of May 1908, nor shall it cease till a 10th of May-to come sees the destiny accomplished, sees the beautiful India crowned.
2
Q
Sir John Seeley on the Sepoy Mutiny
A
A wholly unpatriotic and selfish Sepoy Mutiny with no native leadership and no popular support.
3
Q
Tilak on constitutional methods
A
Constitutional methods in front of alien bureaucracy is a political suicide.
4
Q
M.G. Ranade on memorials
A
The memorials are not addressed to the British, they were addressed to Indians.
5
Q
Gopal Krishna Gokhale on achievements and failures
A
We are at such a stage that our achievements are bound to be less and our failures too frequent. We must content ourselves by serving our country by our failures. It is through these failures that the struggle will emerge.
6
Q
Har Bilas Sarda on ancient Hindus
A
The ancient Hindus were the greatest nation that has yet flourished in the earth.
7
Q
Lala Lajpat Rai on India’s nationhood
A
Fundamentally India has been a nation for the last 2,000 years.
8
Q
Aurobindo Ghosh on constitutional methods
A
Constitutional methods reflect ‘intellectual bankruptcy of the leaders.’
9
Q
Pandit Nehru on constitutional government
A
Constitutional methods will not work because India does not have constitutional government.
10
Q
R C Majumdar on the conception of India
A
The conception of India as a common motherland was still in the realm of fancy. There was no India as it is understood today.
11
Q
Rabindranath Tagore on British legacy
A
I am sure that British will leave this country one day. However I am sure that before leaving, British will leave so much dirt and filth, that generations of Indians will not be able to clean it.
12
Q
Ambedkar on the misuse of the constitution
A
If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it.
13
Q
Ambedkar on contradictions in politics
A
We are entering the life of contradiction where in politics there exist equality but there is no equality in the social and economic sphere.
14
Q
Ambedkar’s view on India’s identity:
A
“India is not a nation rather a group of segmented communities and different warring groups resulting into the exploitation of one by another.”
15
Q
Ambedkar on the new constitution:
A
“One likes to ask whether there can be anything new in a constitution framed at this hour in the history of the world… The only new things, if there can be any are the variations made to remove the faults and to accommodate it to the needs of the country.”
16
Q
Granville Austin on Congress at Independence:
A
“At the time of Independence, Congress was India and India was Congress.”
17
Q
Pratap Bhanu Mehta on the Indian constitution:
A
“Indian constitution is consensus Documents, Like Indian culture, it is syncretic and eclectic.”
18
Q
Pratap Bhanu Mehta on constitutionalism:
A
“Indian constitution is a unique experiment in the field of constitutionalism.”
19
Q
Tajamul Husain on separate electorates:
A
“Separate electorates have been a curse to India, have done incalculable harm to this country… Separate electorates have barred our progress… We (Muslims) want to merge in the nation… for God’s sake keep your hands off reservation for the Muslim community.”
20
Q
John Rawls on justice:
A
“Justice is the first virtue of the social system.”
21
Q
Ambedkar on dissatisfaction with the Constitution:
A
“If those who are dissatisfied with the Constitution have only to obtain a 2/3 majority and if they cannot obtain even (that)…, their dissatisfaction with the Constitution cannot be deemed to be shared by the general public.”
22
Q
Pandit Thakur Das Bhargava on the Preamble:
A
“The Preamble is the most precious part of the Constitution. It is the soul of the Constitution. It is a key to the Constitution. It is a jewel set in the Constitution. It is a proper yardstick with which one can measure the worth of the Constitution.”
23
Q
M Hidayatullah on the Preamble’s significance:
A
“Preamble resembles the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, but is more than a declaration. It is the soul of our Constitution, which lays down the pattern of our political society. It contains a solemn resolve, which nothing but a revolution can alter.”
24
Q
Yogendra Yadav on social justice:
A
“The policy and politics of social justice have reached the dead end… However, journey was not entirely wasted. Reservations in India have been largest, strongest and comparatively successful programmes.”
25
Mahatma Gandhi on rights and duties:
"Real rights are a result of the performance of duty."
26
On the doctrine of basic structure:
"The doctrine of basic structure restrained authoritarianism of the government. Uncertain democracy was preferable over certain tyranny. This we have to understand the relevance."
27
Zia Modi on the doctrine of basic structure in India
The doctrine of basic structure in protecting the rule of law in a prismatic society like India.
28
Pt Nehru on amendment acts and revolution
Amendment acts as a safety valve to meet the aspirations of the new generation, otherwise the only option is revolution.
29
Pt Nehru on the flexibility of the Constitution
While we want this constitution to be solid and permanent, there should be certain flexibility. If you make everything rigid, you stop the growth of the nation. The growth of living, organic vital people.
30
Andre Beteille on the uniqueness of India's Constitution
We can say that India is a unique case where the constitution has to be amended within the very first year of the existence of the Republic.
31
Pt Nehru on the permanence of the Constitution
While we want this Constitution to be as solid and permanent as we can make it, there is no permanence in a Constitution.
32
Manu Singhvi on constitutional morality
Because of its subjectivity, the idea of constitutional morality has been deemed harmful.
33
Unknown on the role of opposition and government
Opposition should have its say, government should have its way.
34
Ambedkar on the effectiveness of a constitution
Howsoever good a constitution is, it will not work if we as a people do not want it to work.
35
Pt Nehru on the role of the Speaker
Speaker represents the dignity of the house, freedom of the house. He represents nation, he is a symbol of nation's liberty, dignity. Position should be occupied by men of outstanding ability and impartiality.
36
Unknown on the neutrality of the Speaker
If speaker fails to maintain the neutrality, it sounds death knell of parliamentary democracy.
37
Pt Nehru on the judiciary's role in social revolution
Judiciary in India will not be a silent spectator rather active participant in India's 'social revolution.
38
Andre Gide on communication and repetition
Everything has been said already, but as no one listens, we must always begin again.
39
Shankar and Rodriguez on the legislature
Legislature of a nation is the mirror of its society and people. It is the visible face of democracy in India.
40
NV Gadgil on the sovereignty of the legislature
The nature of the legislature is such that there are restrictions only so far as procedure is concerned. But in substance there is no restriction, no limitation on the sovereignty of the legislature of Parliament.
41
Pt. Nehru on the post of President: What does he say about the role of the President in the Constitution?
"We did not give him any real power but we have made his position one of authority and dignity. The constitution wants to create neither a real executive nor a mere figurehead, but a head that neither reigns nor governs
42
Soli Sorabjee in his book 'The Governor, Sage or Saboteurs': What is his view on the role of Governors?
"There is no other institution which has become so much controversial... Governors can do great good if they are good governors."
43
Justice Bhagwati: What does he say about the judicial approach towards the problems of the poor?
"It must be remembered that the problems of the poor...are qualitatively different from those which have hitherto occupied the attention of the Court and they need ....a different kind of judicial approach. If we blindly follow the adversarial procedure in their case, they would never be able to enforce their fundamental rights."
44
Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, CAD: What is his perspective on judicial independence?
"While there can be no two opinions on the need for the maintenance of judicial independence, ...it is also necessary to keep in view one important principle. The doctrine of independence is not to be raised to the level of a dogma so as to enable the judiciary to function as a kind of super-legislature or super - executive. The judiciary is there to interpret the Constitution or adjudicate upon the rights..."
45
Gandhi: What is his vision for villages in India?
"Every village has to become a self-sufficient republic."
46
Gandhi: How does he view Panchayat Raj?
"Panchayat Raj represents true democracy realized. We would regard the humblest and the lowest Indian as being equally the ruler of India with the tallest in the land."
47
Pt. Nehru: What role does he attribute to bureaucracy in India's social revolution?
"Bureaucracy is the most modernized section of the society it will play the role of Vanguard in India's social revolution."
48
Amartya Sen: What does he say about public discourse and government response?
"Until and unless some issue becomes a matter of public discourse/debate, governments will not respond."
49
Isher Judge Ahluwalia: What is her view on smart cities and municipalities?
"There cannot be smart city without smart municipality."
50
Dr. P V Rajamannar on the Finance Commission: What does he say about its recommendations?
"Since the Finance Commission is a constitutional body, expected to be quasi-judicial, its recommendations should not be turned down by the Govt. of India unless there are very compelling reasons."
51
Ambedkar: What does he say about the importance of the CAG in the Constitution of India?
"CAG is probably the most important officer in the Constitution of India."
52
Sardar Patel on community in India
But in the long run, it would be in the interest of all to forget that there is anything like majority or minority in this country and that in India there is only one community...
53
Louise Tillin on India's territorial map
The internal territorial map of India is still not settled.
54
Mark Twain on whisky and water
Whisky is for drinking and Water is for fighting.
55
G V Pant on rivers and linguistic boundaries
Rivers know, no linguistic boundaries.
56
Prof. K C Wheare on India's federal structure
India is federal in form but unitary in spirit.
57
KM Munshi on India's constitution
The constitution made India a quasi-federal union invested with several important features of a unitary government.
58
Prof. M P Singh on cooperative federalism
In most of the scenarios, cooperative federalism remains an idea whereas in practice, it becomes bargaining federalism.
59
Prof. Balveer Arora on competitive federalism
Competitive federalism in Indian context may not be adequate because the situation of different states varies. It will create unfair competition, will lead to the lack of balanced development.
60
Ambedkar on India's union of states
India is indestructible union of destructible states.
61
Paul Brass on nationalism and regionalism
Nationalism is a short term trend, regionalism is a permanent feature of Indian politics.
62
Sanjeev Baruah on identity in India
Our identity as Bengali or Punjabi is centuries old whereas our identity as Indian is just 70 years old. Hence it is going to be a natural phenomenon.
63
Atul Kohli on regional movements in India
Regional movements in India have shown inverted U curve. Movement arises, reaches to the peak and then fades. The height of the curve will depend on how much support the demand gets from the public or external powers.
64
Atul Kohli on democracy and ethnic movements
Democracy is one of the factor for ethnic movements but only democracy has solutions.
65
Pratap Bhanu Mehta on Indian judiciary
Indian judiciary is 'self-perpetuating institution'. It means, it does not leave the opportunity to improve its image and increase its powers.
66
Louise Tillin on decision-making in India
India has moved from unilateral centralized decision-making in the first wave to something that approximates unilateral decentralized decision-making by default—in the second wave.
67
Gandhi on development model: "If countries of south adopt same model of development which countries of north adopted so far, at least nine more Earths are needed."
This quote emphasizes the unsustainable nature of the development model used by northern countries and warns against its adoption by southern countries, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to development.
68
Dr Usha Thakkar on human values: "The essence of Gandhian philosophy is that human values and not the market that should govern us."
This quote reflects the core of Gandhian philosophy, advocating for prioritizing human values over market forces in governance and societal development.
69
Amartya Sen on the sprint of tiger: "Contrary to prediction, the sprint of tiger was not as it should have been."
This quote suggests that the anticipated economic growth or performance (metaphorically referred to as the 'sprint of the tiger') did not meet expectations, indicating a need for reassessment of economic strategies.
70
Bimal Jalan on PSUs: "PSUs are like old family silver where the family had to spend only to keep it shining."
This quote compares Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to valuable family heirlooms that require ongoing investment to maintain their value, suggesting the importance of nurturing these entities for continued benefit.
71
Selig Harrison on the 1960s: "dangerous decade"
This quote reflects the turmoil and challenges faced by India during the 1960s, including communal riots and linguistic movements, indicating a period of significant political instability.
72
Marc Gallanter on OBC: "OBC is a loose conception, which makes it keep on changing."
This quote highlights the fluid and evolving nature of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Indian society, suggesting that its definition and composition are not fixed.
73
Satish Deshpande on OBC politics: "Indian politics is to be read and interpreted with reference to the direction of OBC politics in India."
This quote emphasizes the significance of OBC politics in understanding the broader political landscape of India, suggesting that OBC dynamics are central to political analysis.
74
Atul Kohli on democracy and ethnicity: "Democracy in traditional society leads to mobilisation on ethnic lines. The traditional elites fearful of losing their privilege try to mobilise people on ethnic lines."
This quote discusses the relationship between democracy and ethnic mobilization in traditional societies, indicating that elites may exploit ethnic identities to maintain their power.
75
Rajni Kothari on identity mobilisation: "In traditional society like India, mobilisation of the people on identity like religion and caste is natural."
This quote suggests that in traditional societies, it is common for political mobilization to occur along the lines of identity, such as religion and caste, reflecting deep-rooted social structures.
76
Christophe Jaffrelot on caste and religion: "Caste forms the mosaic of Indian politics. Caste does not differ from religion and both are examples of identity politics."
This quote illustrates the intertwined nature of caste and religion in Indian politics, suggesting that both are integral to understanding identity politics in the country.
77
Christophe Jaffrelot on voting behavior: "Indians do not cast their vote, they vote their caste."
This quote highlights the influence of caste on voting behavior in India, indicating that caste identity plays a crucial role in electoral decisions.
78
Rudolph and Rudolph on caste politicization: "modernization of the tradition" & "traditionalization of modernity."
This quote describes the phenomenon of caste becoming a significant factor in modern Indian politics, suggesting a complex interplay between traditional identities and modern political practices.
79
MN Srinivas on caste in politics: "Caste is present in the minds of Indians at a subconscious level. So it is difficult to think that it will not play a role in Indian politics."
This quote indicates that caste influences Indian political behavior at a subconscious level, making it an enduring factor in the political landscape.
80
C.P. Bhambri on caste politics: "Caste politics is not good in the long term. It leads to communalization. When one party uses caste, the other party will have to use religion."
This quote warns against the dangers of caste-based politics, suggesting that it can lead to communal tensions and a cycle of identity-based mobilization among political parties.
81
Prof. S D Muni on ethnicity and territorial integrity
Ethnicity is not a challenge to territorial integrity because identity markers of Indians are not permanent.
82
Bipin Chandra on communal violence and elites
The communal violence whether pre-independence or post-independence is because of the elites. Elites prefer mobilisation on the lines of caste and religion... Politicians use communal politics but people are not communal. Hence after some time, normalcy comes back.
83
Asghar Ali Engineer on state policies and communalism
State policies promote communalism. State actions, public policy make one community insecure and nurtures the feeling that others are appeased and they are being discriminated against.
84
Christophe Jaffrelot on RSS's ideology
RSS's ideology treats society as an organism with a secular spirit, which is implanted not so much in the race as in socio-cultural system and which will be regenerated over the course of time by patient work at grassroots....
85
Milan Vaishnav on electoral behaviour in India
The study of electoral behaviour in India is a challenging task because of size and diversity.
86
Kenneth Arrow on the impossibility theorem in elections
In case of elections, it is difficult to determine the preference, when voters have more than 3 choices.
87
Prannoy Roy, Ashok Lahiri, David Butler on Indian voting behaviour
The voting behaviour of Indians is many times more mature than the voting behaviour of voters in western countries.
88
Zoya Hassan on political parties in India
Political parties in India have played critical role in the success of India's democracy but at the same time Parties only have to be blamed for most of the problems of Indian democracy.
89
Suhas Palashikar on Congress's state of decline
Congress is not in a state of decline, rather the 2014 election mark the death of Congress.
90
Milan Vaishnav on the rise of regional political parties
The rise of regional political parties is an eternal theme of Indian politics.
91
Sudha Pai on regional parties and regionalism
Regional parties are rooted in regional ground. They should not be seen as a by-product of regionalism, rather phenomenon in its own right. It is a result of linguistic reorganization, decline in congress system, uneven development etc.
92
Milan Vaishnav on change in electoral behaviour in India
There is a big change in the electoral behaviour of people in India. For long, Indian politics was based on the agenda of secularism and minorities. The present Indian politics is a rejection of both minorities and Congress version of secularism and the assertion of majoritarianism in combination with the concern for good governance and development.
93
Hanson's perspective on the rise of BJP?
The rise of BJP is not a religious phenomenon, nor is it a strictly political phenomenon.
94
Shruti Rajagopalan on coalition governments?
Coalition governments may prevent good reform, but, by the same principle, also prevent badly crafted ideas rammed down by a strong executive... India needs coalition governments to check executive overreach.
95
Prof Torben Iversen on inequality and coalition governments?
The rise in inequality is slower in countries that have coalition governments because coalition governments redistribute resources proportionately. On the other hand, countries with a majority government have witnessed rapid rise in inequality.
96
Sanjoy Hazarika on coalition politics?
If politics is the art of compromise, then coalition politics is the chemistry of functional autonomy. Coalition in India may be the most representative and peaceful way of running a nation of such vast diversity, social and economic inequities.
97
Alan R. Ball on pressure groups?
Pressure groups are firmly part of the political process and that they attempt to reinforce or change the direction of government policy, but do not wish, as pressure groups, to become the government.
98
Rajni Kothari on pressure groups?
Pressure groups have been, agents of modernization, reservoirs of leadership.
99
Yogendra Yadav on identity politics?
People in India are moving from identity politics to identity plus politics. It includes concern for identity as well as development.
100
M P Singh on the success of India's democracy?
The credit for success for India's democracy go to the great common sense shown by ordinary voters in India. He suggests that we cannot say that verdict of any election was ever wrong. People always vote for the best possible option.
101
Herbert Blumer on social movements?
Social movements can be viewed as collective enterprises to establish a new order of life.
102
Upendra Bakshi on human rights movement in India?
There is no human rights movement in India. It faces challenge of legitimacy crisis. What we find is not human right movement but human right industries. Advocacy groups, employee management graduates rather than social activists.
103
Madhu Kishwar on the women's movement?
The only achievement of women movement has been some bizarre pieces of legislations.
104
Sunita Narayan on the Chipko Movement?
Polluted skies, dead rivers, disappearing forests, falling water tables, ever increasing hills of untreated waste, displaced peasants and tribes is what we see after 35 years of Chipko Movement.
