A subtle revisionism in India’s constitutional history is emerging, attempting to credit Sir Benegal Narsing Rau as the real author of the Constitution instead of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. 

Sir B.N. Rau’s Role In the Preparation Of Constitution

• Technical Preparation: Appointed in July 1946, Rau’s task was preparatory—he created a working draft based on various committee reports and global constitutions.
• Comparative Study: He examined American, Canadian, Irish, Australian, and Weimar constitutions, consulting legal luminaries such as Felix Frankfurter and Harold Laski.
• Submission of Draft: His draft, completed in October 1947, contained 243 Articles and 13 Schedules, serving as a foundation for deliberations.
• Nature of Contribution: Rau had no seat in the Constituent Assembly and thus no representative mandate—his authority was purely scholarly and advisory.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Role In the Preparation Of Constitution

• Chairman of Drafting Committee: Ambedkar’s role was political and moral—he converted Rau’s technical draft into a living social covenant.
• Leadership Amid Crisis: He guided the Constitution’s framing through Partition and Gandhi’s assassination, defending every clause in the Assembly.
• Consensus Building: Ambedkar mediated conflicts among diverse interests, ensuring unity and inclusivity in the Republic’s foundation.
• Moral Foundation: He infused the Constitution with principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity—transforming it into an instrument of social revolution.
  • Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and reservation provisions bear Ambedkar’s intellectual and moral imprint.
• Moral Warning: Ambedkar cautioned that political democracy without social and economic equality would endanger the Republic’s stability.

Dr. Ambedkar’s Recognition of Sir B.N. Rau’s Contributions

• Public Credit: In his final address (November 25, 1949), Ambedkar credited Rau for preparing a “rough draft” but clarified that it was only a base for further refinement.
• Team Effort: He also appreciated S.N. Mukherjee, the Chief Draftsman, and other members of the Drafting Committee for their meticulous work.
• Interpretation of ‘Rough Draft’: Ambedkar’s description establishes that Rau’s draft was preliminary, while the final document emerged through extensive deliberation and redrafting.

Gandhi’s Role in Ambedkar’s Inclusion in Constitution-Making

• Ensuring Representation: After Ambedkar lost his Bengal seat due to Partition, Gandhi ensured his re-election from the Bombay Presidency.
• Visionary Step: Gandhi maintained that no Constitution could claim legitimacy without Scheduled Caste participation in its drafting.
• National Unity: His intervention prevented deeper social divisions and ensured that the Constitution reflected India’s inclusive and plural ethos.

Risks of Recasting the Constitution’s Authorship

• Eroding Radical Memory: Elevating B.N. Rau over B.R. Ambedkar strips the Constitution of its revolutionary and reformist essence, reducing it to a technical manual.
• Ignoring the Transformative Vision: Recasting the founding process as mere legal drafting overlooks its moral mission to build a just and equal society.
• Erasing Dalit Centrality: Glorifying Rau over Ambedkar reflects discomfort with a Dalit leader’s intellectual and moral leadership in shaping modern India.
• Reclaiming Privilege: Such narratives reinstate upper-caste authorship, reclaiming symbolic power over India’s constitutional legacy.
• Depoliticizing a Social Charter: Such reinterpretations reduce the Constitution from a transformative social document to a bureaucratic exercise.
• Diluting the Moral Core: The Constitution, envisioned to uphold justice, equality, and inclusion, was shaped under Ambedkar’s leadership to make power representative and accountable; altering its authorship weakens this moral foundation.

Conclusion

While Rau provided the technical draft, it was Ambedkar who transformed it into a moral, inclusive, and socially transformative Constitution. Preserving his centrality safeguards historical truth, Dalit leadership, and the Republic’s ethical foundation.

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