Art in the Constitution

Here comes January 26 and we are so eager to celebrate it as our Republic Day. Whether we truly understand the meaning of republic is definitely a matter of surmise but we all participate in commemorating the day as when our Constitution was finally enforced. It is very dear to us, for it vindicates the sovereignty of our beloved motherland. Our Constitution is the very bedrock on which rests the entire law-making process of our country. It also epitomizes the spirit of our culture and tradition, and the efforts of the then leaders who laid the foundation of a future India — fostering civic, religious, social and political rights to its citizens. Whether it has really happened or not is debatable but that ethos is not found wanting. However, our Constitution, apart from being a set of laws, is also a display of artistic work. This in itself is worth considering because on one hand, it has an aesthetic value, and on the other, the paintings showcase the philosophical dimension of our Constitution.

It took nearly three years for the Constitution to be prepared. Ours is one of the largest written Constitutions in the world. It was no mean responsibility, for the calligraphic pattern in which the Constitution was written demanded nothing less than excellence. Eventually, that excellence was found in the form of Prem Behari Narain Raizada. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru approached him regarding the work of handwriting the Constitution in calligraphic style when the draft of the Constitution was ready to be printed. It is known from Yogendra Saxena, the nephew of Raizada, that on being asked about the honorarium for the work, Raizada replied: "Not a single penny … By the grace of God, I have everything''. Raizada's only request was to have his name on each page and alongside his grandfather's name on the last. Raizada had learnt the art of calligraphy from his grandfather Master Ram Prasad Ji Saxena. It took Raizada over six months to complete his assignment, writing on the parchment sheets — both in Hindi and English. The calligraphy was done on pages that were in the style of Mughal and Sultanate inscriptions. Two types of borders are used in the entire manuscript. While all pages have a simple gold-speckled border, some at the opening of a schedule, and the page where every schedule ends, have a second inner border of gold ornament.

Placed in a special helium-filled case in the Indian Parliament Library, the pages of the handcrafted Indian Constitution are bound in black leather and embossed in patterns of gold. So, while each word was carefully calligraphed by Raizada, the task of illustrating the book was assigned to the great painter Nandalal Bose and his team from Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan. Nandalal Bose and his team — which even comprised his family members including his son Biswarup Bose and his daughters Gauri Bhanja and Bani Patel — charted the history of India right from the days of Harappan Civilisation to the struggle for independence. The Preamble page has a complex design sketched by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha. It was Dinanath Bhargava who figured the layout for the National Emblem — the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Along with these engravings are also present Ajanta Cave paintings and the murals of the Bagh Caves. These images are mostly used on borders and page fringes. The whole framework is a kaleidoscopic presentation of major events, personalities, art and culture of Indian history and civilisation. Inscriptions were taken from the Indian epics but not with the motive to preach any form of religion; rather they exemplify our rich legacy of assimilation and universality. Nandalal Bose harnessed a variety of Indian art traditions. His artistic narrative relied on portrayal of characters from history and myth. The illustrations have a serious message to impart. It is like the winged chariot of time as civilizations come and go. The vivid imagination of the artist is resplendent with an all-inclusive image where nature and human civilization intertwine. Each of the 22 parts of the constitution bear the artwork of Bose and his compatriots.

While a gurukul scene of the Vedic period features in the section of citizenship, there is a scene from Mahabharata in the part of Directive Principles of State Policy. In the section dealing with Fundamental Rights, the artist turned towards a picture of Ram, Lakshman and Sita coming back after victory from Lanka. This scene emerged as a testimony in a case between Viswa Hindu Adhivakta Sangh and Union of India in a verdict by the Honourable Allahabad High Court. The verdict treated Ram as a 'Constitutional entity'. Almost every episode of Indian History is delineated. We have Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavira; there are illustrations from the Mauryan period, Gupta period, Medieval period etc. with scenes from Orissa and South India. Illustrations also show the Mughal Period, portraying Akbar, Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh. The British Period is reflected through Rani Lakshmi Bai and Tipu Sultan. When it comes to the Indian Freedom Movement, we have the depiction of Mahatma Gandhi walking with a stick in the section on official languages. He again emerges in the section on emergency provisions, where his visit to communal violence-hit Noakhali is shown. Subhas Chandra Bose and his Azad Hind Fauz appear in Part XIX. Netaji is featured against a mountainous backdrop, saluting the Tricolour. Immense geographical diversity is also depicted in the illustrations in the form of forests, waves, mountains etc. in the XXIInd section. This flow of history justifies the plurality that our Constitution endorses.

In recent years, the artwork in our Constitution has started capturing the attention of young artists and intellectuals. Lot of interpretations have come up where the legal part of the Constitution is explained by many in the context of the artwork. This may not exactly be a proper interpretation of our Constitution because a set of rules is concrete whereas an artist's imagination always has an abstract element. It is also unfortunate that many Indians don't even know that the Constitution has any artwork. Essentially, our Constitution is also a document of art apart from being a document of law. Many argue against deciphering the meaning of our Constitution through the artwork. But even then, none can ignore the historical commentary inscribed as paintings on the pages of the Constitution. The pictures of different historical eras evince the development and march of Indian Civilisation. No country can thrive by ignoring its past. So, to brush aside the importance of the artwork in the Constitution is historically incorrect. If the Constitution framers envisioned a prosperous future for the people of India, then they must have taken lessons from Indian history and culture. The great display of artistry in our Constitution is a tribute to Indian art itself, for it is rare to have such art captured in the Constitution of any country.

The writer is an educator from Kolkata. Views expressed are personal