This is part of a series of articles on The Constitution of India and The Constituent Assembly that Mr. N. Panchaksaramoorthy has consented to write in our Website for the benefit of today’s generation. Extracts of Mr. C. T. Prakasam‘s speech.

On 9th November 1948, Member of The Constituent Assembly, Mr. C. T. Prakasam [Madras General], spoke of the existence of Republican form of Government while he was replying to a statement made by another member Mr. Madhava Rao, (Orissa State).

“The Honourable Mr. Madhava Rau [Orissa State] said that the ballot box and ballot paper were not known to our ancestors. I would like to point out to him, Sir that the ballot box and the ballot papers were described in an inscription on the walls of a temple in the villages of Uthiramerur, 20 miles from Kanjivaram every detail is given there. Ballot box was a pot with the mouth tied and placed on the ground with a hole made at the bottom and the ballot paper was the Kadjan leaf and adult franchise was exercised. Election took place not only for that villages but the whole of India. This was just a thousand years ago. It is not known to my honourable friend and that is why he made such a wrong statement – a grievously wrong statement and I want to correct it.“

Comment: Knowledge of History is most important in framing any legal document expected to govern the present and future generation.