Every year on 26 November, India observes Constitution Day to honour the adoption of the Constitution in 1949.
On 25 November 1949, The father of Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar delivered his iconic ‘Grammar of Anarchy’ speech.
The central message of the speech was that India’s freedom and Constitution would survive only if citizens remain loyal to the nation
Every year on 26 November, India celebrates Constitution Day—the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution in 1949. The day marks the completion of a historic journey: the creation of a document that would guide an independent nation. The Constituent Assembly began its work on 9 December 1946, and the drafting continued for nearly three years, marked by extensive debates and careful deliberation. And finally on 26 November 1949, the Assembly completed the third reading of the Constitution and voted in favour of its adoption.
The final document was signed on 24 January 1950 and officially came into effect on 26 January 1950, celebrated today as Republic Day. As the world’s longest written Constitution, it reflects India’s decision to build its future on the foundations of law, equality, and justice.This day also reminds us of the extraordinary contribution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, whose leadership shaped this historic document. And who is also known as the Father of the Indian Constitution.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was not only the chief architect of the Constitution but also one of India’s foremost thinkers and social reformers. Born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, into a Dalit Mahar family, he rose through determination and scholarship to become a powerful voice against inequality and discrimination. His leadership ensured that the Constitution safeguarded fundamental rights, abolished untouchability, and guaranteed equality before the law.
See Also: From British Colony to Attaining Sovereignty: How India Conducted its First General Election?
Ambedkar believed that the Constitution must empower the oppressed, restrain the powerful, and create a fair society. His final speech to the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949—often known as his “Grammar of Anarchy” speech—is one of the most important political speeches. In this speech, he explained how the Constitution can turn out to be good or bad depending on the people. His words were filled with guidance and warnings for the future of Indian democracy.
Ambedkar fought tirelessly for the rights of the oppressed. He worked for equality, social justice, and dignity at a time when millions in India lived under caste discrimination. His ideas still guide debates on democracy, rights, and freedoms. As a jurist, thinker, and social reformer, Dr. Ambedkar led the drafting process with remarkable clarity and vision. He believed that India’s Constitution must protect every citizen, especially the most marginalized and ensure that power is exercised responsibly.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar opened his final speech to the Constituent Assembly with a profound warning about India’s future. As the country prepared to become a sovereign republic on 26 January 1950, he questioned whether India would be able to safeguard the independence it had regained. He reminded the nation that India had lost her freedom in the past not only to foreign invaders but also because of betrayal, division, and disunity among her own people. Ambedkar warned that history could repeat itself if political parties or communities placed caste, creed, or ideology above the nation.
He also cautioned against the rise of political extremism, such as communism or socialism, who rejected parliamentary democracy and demanded absolute rights or unchecked state power. Ambedkar agreed that every generation has the right to shape its own laws, but no group should weaken democracy or threaten national unity. His central message was clear: India’s freedom and its Constitution will survive only if citizens place the nation above all divisions and defend democracy with loyalty, discipline, and constitutional conduct.
In his speech, Ambedkar gave three major warnings that he believed were essential for India’s survival as a democratic nation.
His first warning was that citizens must use constitutional methods to achieve their goals. During the freedom movement, Indians protested and fought for independence using methods like non-cooperation, civil disobedience, and other forms of resistance. At that time, such actions were necessary because democratic institutions did not exist, and the British controlled the country. However, in independent India, Ambedkar pointed out, the nation now had full constitutional machinery like elections, legislatures, courts, and peaceful means to resolve conflicts. Continuing to use extra-constitutional methods, he warned, would weaken democracy and create disorder. He famously called such tactics the “Grammar of Anarchy,” emphasizing that once legitimate channels for change exist, people must not resort to agitation or violence.
Ambedkar’s second warning was against the culture of hero worship in politics. He feared that placing absolute faith in a single leader could turn democracy into dictatorship, especially in a country with deep social inequalities. No matter how admired a leader is, Ambedkar argued, citizens must remain loyal to the Constitution, not to individuals. Hero worship blinds people to faults, discourages questioning, and dangerously concentrates power. He compared this tendency to political slavery and warned that democracies can collapse when leaders become larger than institutions.
“As has been well said by the Irish patriot Daniel O’Connell: no man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity, and no nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty.”
His third warning focused on the contradiction between political equality and social and economic inequality in India. Ambedkar explained that political democracy alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by social democracy. Social democracy embodies a life that recognises liberty, equality, and fraternity. While the Constitution granted every citizen one vote and equal political rights, caste discrimination, untouchability, and poverty continued to deny equality to millions. Ambedkar feared that if these inequalities were left unaddressed, political democracy would rest on weak foundations. Equality on paper would mean little if society itself remained unequal. He insisted that political democracy must be reinforced by social democracy, with liberty, equality, and fraternity inseparably linked. For Ambedkar, fraternity—a shared sense of belonging—was the glue that held India’s diverse society together. Without it, he warned, the nation would remain fragmented, and democracy would be threatened from within.
Ambedkar concluded his speech by reminding citizens that independence did not relieve them of responsibility—it amplified it. Under British rule, failures could be blamed on colonial authorities, but in free India, the burden of success, justice, and progress rested entirely on the people, their leaders, and institutions. If Indians failed to uphold the values of the Constitution, the Constitution alone could not protect them. To safeguard democracy, Ambedkar urged citizens to rely on constitutional methods, reject violence and extra-constitutional actions, address social and economic inequalities, and work for the collective good rather than personal or sectional interests.
Even today, on Constitution Day, his warnings remain profoundly relevant. They serve as a reminder that India’s democracy endures only when citizens prioritise institutions over individuals, combat injustice and inequality, and foster genuine fraternity. Ambedkar’s vision continues to guide the nation, emphasizing that freedom, equality, and unity are responsibilities that every generation must actively uphold.
Suggested Reading: