‘Constitutional Indians’ and the Language Question

Probal Dasgupta writes:

G Kanato Chophy, a Naga intellectual, sees himself as speaking on behalf of constitutional Indians who desire a common ground with fellow citizens. “For a Naga, this common ground,” he writes, “is the idea of a modern and secular India—as the truly Ambedkar-inspired Constitution defines it—not the largely elite and Brahminical notion of a timeless Indian civilisation and tradition dating back thousands of years.” Some of us may retort that these are merely Naga desires. That retort, however, misses the point. The Indian Constitution is a wish list. Most of its goals have remained out of reach because the desires in different regions of India have not converged. If mainstream Indians fail to meet the Nagas halfway and if we do not strengthen the constitutional basis of our republic together, then the goals that look remote today will remain unattainable.