Our Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950. Yet, within its first few months, several court cases—particularly on the issue of property rights—reached the judiciary. In 1951, while introducing the First Constitutional Amendment in Parliament, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru voiced his frustration:
“This Constitution, which I and my colleagues in the Constituent Assembly worked so hard to produce, has been hijacked by lawyers.”
That sentiment, regrettably, still holds true today. The perception that the Constitution belongs solely to the legal profession has become widespread, causing ordinary citizens to feel distanced from it.
While many books on the Constitution exist, they are often voluminous and highly technical. In my experience, such works discourage the average reader from engaging with them. This book seeks to bridge that gap—satisfying the curiosity of those who wish to understand the Constitution in a concise, reader-friendly form.