Probing the Minority Conundrum: Sardar Patel and Minorities in India

Abstract

Indian Constitution is a progressive document based on liberal ethos of equality and freedom. Secularism, as imbibed in the document gives freedom of religious practices and believes and even propagation to people of all faith. This is also considered as the fundamental characteristic of the Indian Constitution which cannot be altered. Given the image of Vallabhai Patel it looks astounding to find out that he was the head of the advisory committee on minorities in the constituent assembly which proposed special protection to minorities in particular. This chapter is an attempt to understand the depth of the contribution of Patel in shaping the minority rights in India and establishing secular polity. The chapter is divided in two major parts; one is dealing with the theoretical basis on which the minority questions are generally seen. This also deals with the peculiar provisions in the legal and political setups which makes India a secular polity. Second is examining the role and interventions of Patel in the constituent assembly on the issue.