IISER MOHALI

Abstract: The arrival of the Indian Constitution made a significant departure from the hierarchical societal norms and traditions to legal procedural governance and representative Democracy. Constitutional experts such as Granville Austin described this transformation as a social revolution initiated by the Constitution in Indian society. And scholars like Faizan Mustafa argued that the Indian constitution is a continuation of ancient Indian Civilization and its socio-cultural ethos rather than colonial baggage. However there are contested views on constitutional legacy and its everyday practice. While Sai Deepak argues that the Indian constitution carries heavily colonial western values, hence it disturbs the Indian traditional structures on which Indian Civilization is rooted. Mustafa argues that constitution makers incorporated in the constitution the vision of uniting India, respecting diversity and plurality of language, religion and region etc. In the context of the recent debate around decolonizing institutions and ‘Samvidhan ka Bachavo’, we have to understand the constitutional vision and its great potential for civilising society from casteist, patriarchal, communal, and racist structures and processes to egalitarian society. The seventy-five years of constitutional experience and its everyday practice enable us to understand the philosophical praxis and everyday meanings that citizen’s particularly the Subaltern of India, draw from the constitution. As B.R. Ambedkar visualized, the constitutional spirit can be actualised, we people transform ‘rules into principles’ that cultivate the values of democracy, liberty, equality, justice, dignity, Fraternity among the people in the society. These values have great potential to deeply impact the socio, cultural and psychological spheres of everyday life. The talk is aimed at understanding the potential of the civilizing vision of the Indian constitution and its everyday usage among subaltern communities in India.

About the Speaker: Dr. Chandraiah Gopani is an Associate Professor in G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. He obtained his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in the department of Political Science from the University of Hyderabad, India. His areas of research interest: Critical theory, Caste, Dalit Studies, Subaltern Politics, Intellectual Traditions, Social Movements, Youth, and Development, Popular Culture etc. He completed research projects on Subaltern nationalism, Dalit Nomad Castes, and Dalit Struggles, Diversity, Inclusion and Higher Education which are sponsored by ICSSR, New Delhi and Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi). He presented a number of papers at national and international conferences in the United States of America, Germany, France, Ireland etc. His research papers appeared in Journal of J-CASTE: A Global Journals on Social Exclusion, Prabudha: Journal of Social Equality, E-explorations: Published by Sociological Society of India and UGC CARE listed Journals. He published four books on Madigas (Leather Working Castes): History, Culture, and Struggle (edited, 2025), Inter-Caste Marriages (Co-Author, 2025), Youth in City (Co-Author, 2025), Labour Migration (2014). He contributed book chapters in edited volumes published by Bloomsbury, Penguin, Routledge, Primus, Kanishka, Kalpaz etc. He received academic excellence award in 2017 from University of Allahabad for his research and teaching. Gopani has been doing extensive field work in South India in general and the Telugu region in particular. He regularly contributes to the reputed academic Journals and popular magazines, newspapers, and online platforms both in English and Telugu. He founded a Satyashodhak Collective: A scholar’s network for research and publication. In order to engage with a wider audience he runs a YouTube channel ‘Satyashodhak Collective’. His current research focuses on Anti-Caste Intellectual Traditions, Subaltern Nationalism and Dalit Food Cultures.