1/8/2015

ThecasethatsavedIndiandemocracyTheHindu

OpinionComment
Published:April24,201301:08IST|Updated:April24,201303:14IST

ThecasethatsavedIndiandemocracy
ArvindP.Datar

AMarch2013pictureofKesavanandaBharati.

TheHindu

CLEARPATH:Thehardworkandscholarshipthathadgoneintothepreparationofthiscasewastoanswerjustonemainquestion
whetherthepowerofParliamenttoamendtheConstitutionwasunlimited.

TheHindu

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/thecasethatsavedindiandemocracy/article4647800.ece?css=print

1/3

1/8/2015

ThecasethatsavedIndiandemocracyTheHindu

CLEARPATH:Thehardworkandscholarshipthathadgoneintothepreparationofthiscasewastoanswerjustonemainquestion
whetherthepowerofParliamenttoamendtheConstitutionwasunlimited.

TheHindu

ThejudgmentinKesavanandaBharativStateofKerala,whose40thanniversaryfallstoday,wascrucialinupholdingthesupremacyof
theConstitutionandpreventingauthoritarianrulebyasingleparty

Exactlyfortyyearsago,onApril24,1973,ChiefJusticeSikriand12judgesoftheSupremeCourtassembledtodeliver
themostimportantjudgmentinitshistory.ThecaseofKesavanandaBharativStateofKeralahadbeenheardfor68
days,theargumentscommencingonOctober31,1972,andendingonMarch23,1973.Thehardworkandscholarship
thathadgoneintothepreparationofthiscasewasbreathtaking.Literallyhundredsofcaseshadbeencitedandthe
thenAttorneyGeneralhadmadeacomparativechartanalysingtheprovisionsoftheConstitutionsof71different
countries!

Corequestion
Allthiseffortwastoanswerjustonemainquestion:wasthepowerofParliamenttoamendtheConstitutionunlimited?
Inotherwords,couldParliamentalter,amend,abrogateanypartoftheConstitutioneventotheextentoftakingaway
allfundamentalrights?
Article368,onaplainreading,didnotcontainanylimitationonthepowerofParliamenttoamendanypartofthe
Constitution.TherewasnothingthatpreventedParliamentfromtakingawayacitizensrighttofreedomofspeechor
hisreligiousfreedom.ButtherepeatedamendmentsmadetotheConstitutionraisedadoubt:wasthereanyinherent
orimpliedlimitationontheamendingpowerofParliament?
The703pagejudgmentrevealedasharplydividedcourtand,byawaferthinmajorityof7:6,itwasheldthat
ParliamentcouldamendanypartoftheConstitutionsolongasitdidnotalteroramendthebasicstructureor
essentialfeaturesoftheConstitution.Thiswastheinherentandimpliedlimitationontheamendingpowerof
Parliament.Thisbasicstructuredoctrine,asfutureeventsshowed,savedIndiandemocracyandKesavanandaBharati
willalwaysoccupyahallowedplaceinourconstitutionalhistory.

SupremeCourtvIndiraGandhi
ItissupremelyironicalthatthebasicstructuretheorywasfirstintroducedbyJusticeMudholkareightyearsearlierby
referringtoa1963decisionoftheSupremeCourtofPakistan.ChiefJusticeCorneliusyes,PakistanhadaChristian
ChiefJusticeand,later,aHindujusticeaswellhadheldthatthePresidentofPakistancouldnotalterthe
fundamentalfeaturesoftheirConstitution.
TheKesavanandaBharaticasewastheculminationofaseriousconflictbetweenthejudiciaryandthegovernment,
thenheadedbyMrsIndiraGandhi.In1967,theSupremeCourttookanextremeview,intheGolakNathcase,that
Parliamentcouldnotamendoralteranyfundamentalright.Twoyearslater,IndiraGandhinationalised14major
banksandthepaltrycompensationwasmadepayableinbondsthatmaturedafter10years!Thiswasstruckdownby
theSupremeCourt,althoughitupheldtherightofParliamenttonationalisebanksandotherindustries.Ayearlater,in
1970,MrsGandhiabolishedthePrivyPurses.Thiswasaconstitutionalbetrayalofthesolemnassurancegivenby
SardarPateltoalltheerstwhilerulers.ThiswasalsostruckdownbytheSupremeCourt.Ironically,theabolitionofthe
PrivyPurseswaschallengedbythelateMadhavraoScindia,wholaterjoinedtheCongressParty.
Smartingunderthreesuccessiveadverserulings,whichhadallbeenarguedbyN.A.Palkhivala,IndiraGandhiwas
determinedtocuttheSupremeCourtandtheHighCourtstosizeandsheintroducedaseriesofconstitutional
amendmentsthatnullifiedtheGolakNath,BankNationalisationandPrivyPursesjudgments.Inanutshell,these
amendmentsgaveParliamentuncontrolledpowertoalterorevenabolishanyfundamentalright.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/thecasethatsavedindiandemocracy/article4647800.ece?css=print

2/3

1/8/2015

ThecasethatsavedIndiandemocracyTheHindu

ThesedrasticamendmentswerechallengedbyKesavanandaBharati,theheadofamathinKerala,andseveralcoal,
sugarandrunningcompanies.Ontheotherside,wasnotonlytheUnionofIndiabutalmostalltheStateswhichhad
alsointervened.ThiscasehadseriouspoliticalovertoneswithseveralheatedexchangesbetweenN.A.Palkhivalafor
thepetitionersandH.M.SeervaiandNirenDe,whoappearedfortheStateofKeralaandtheUnionofIndia
respectively.
TheinfamousEmergencywasdeclaredin1975and,bythen,eightnewjudgeshadbeenappointedtotheSupreme
Court.AshockingattemptwasmadebyChiefJusticeRaytoreviewtheKesavanandaBharatidecisionbyconstituting
anotherBenchof13judges.InwhatisregardedasthefinestadvocacythatwasheardintheSupremeCourt,Palkhivala
madeanimpassionedpleafornotdisturbingtheearlierview.InamajorembarrassmenttoRay,itwasrevealedthatno
onehadfiledareviewpetition.HowwasthisBenchthenconstituted?Theotherjudgesstronglyopposedthis
improprietyandthe13judgeBenchwasdissolvedaftertwodaysofarguments.Thetragicreviewwasoverbutitdid
irreversibledamagetothereputationofChiefJusticeA.N.Ray.

Constitutionalrightssaved
IfthemajorityoftheSupremeCourthadheld(assixjudgesindeeddid)thatParliamentcouldalteranypartofthe
Constitution,IndiawouldmostcertainlyhavedegeneratedintoatotalitarianStateorhadonepartyrule.Atanyrate,
theConstitutionwouldhavelostitssupremacy.EvenSeervailateradmittedthatthebasicstructuretheorypreserved
Indiandemocracy.OnehastoonlyexaminetheamendmentsthatweremadeduringtheEmergency.The39th
AmendmentprohibitedanychallengetotheelectionofthePresident,VicePresident,SpeakerandPrimeMinister,
irrespectiveoftheelectoralmalpractice.ThiswasaclearattempttonullifytheadverseAllahabadHighCourtruling
againstIndiraGandhi.The41stAmendmentprohibitedanycase,civilorcriminal,beingfiledagainstthePresident,
VicePresident,PrimeMinisterortheGovernors,notonlyduringtheirtermofofficebutforever.Thus,ifapersonwas
agovernorforjustoneday,heacquiredimmunityfromanylegalproceedingsforlife.IfParliamentwereindeed
supreme,theseshockingamendmentswouldhavebecomepartoftheConstitution.
ThankstoKesavanandaBharati,Palkhivalaandthesevenjudgeswhowereinthemajority,Indiacontinuestobethe
worldslargestdemocracy.ThesoulsofNehru,Patel,AmbedkarandallthefoundingfathersofourConstitutioncan
reallyrestinpeace.
(ArvindP.DatarisasenioradvocateoftheMadrasHighCourt.)
Keywords:KesavanandaBharaticase,SupremeCourt,CJIS.H.Kapadia
Printableversion|Jan8,201512:38:05AM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/thecasethatsavedindian
democracy/article4647800.ece
TheHindu

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/thecasethatsavedindiandemocracy/article4647800.ece?css=print

3/3