Your say / India
‘Since moving to Bristol from India, I have felt safe, loved and at home’
When I was preparing to move to the UK in August 2023, I didn’t know I would be welcomed here with open arms. I was ready to face racism, be treated like an outsider and above all not be given equal opportunities.
To my surprise – despite some disturbing incidents independent of each other – I have felt safe, loved and at home in Bristol.
However, my perspective of the UK and the British has been something that has evolved.
is needed now More than ever
When I was growing up in India, we were taught to look at the British – or as we say, Britishers – as the ones who kept us enslaved for centuries.
It was regularly explained to us how they ruled over us, stole from us and asserted dominance in a way that left us crippled when we finally achieved independence in 1947.
But amidst all that we hated about being colonised, there was a silver lining that I now see as fundamental and foundational for the growth of India into the world’s largest democracy.
And this silver lining is not isolated to the British, but to all of India’s colonisers (yes, there were others).
Before the British, the Portuguese, French and Dutch set up trade centres in parts of the Indian subcontinent. In fact, if you travel to the southern city of Pondicherry or the western state of Goa there are very visible influences of the French and Portuguese respectively in these regions – something that both of these places have come to preserve and revere over the years.
But what I’m talking about today goes beyond architectural and cultural influences: it defines India’s building blocks.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar was also a champion for the rights of India’s excluded communities, known as the Dalits – photo: India Today
On January 26 1950, three years after we gained independence, India formally adopted what has since been known as the largest written constitution in the world. Every January 26 since then, we have celebrate India becoming a republic on Republic Day.
But how has this been influenced by our various different colonisers?
The Indian constitution was helmed by a group of learned, intelligent and dedicated leaders – who formed the Constituent Assembly – with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar guiding them along the way.
In making a document that would guide the working of the world’s largest democracy, the constituent assembly didn’t hesitate to take inspiration from the world – including their own colonisers.
The fact remains that several parts of the constitution that the leaders finally adopted were borrowed from the the UK, Ireland, France, Canada and the United States.
But I want to focus on the lessons the Indian leaders learnt and the virtues they borrowed from the British. (And yes, the UK has an ‘unwritten’ constitution but that can be discussed another time.)
To begin with, the Indian leaders adopted the traditional British electoral system of first past the post.
Then came the adoption of the government’s structure – a parliamentary government. Similar to Westminster’s House of Commons and House of Lords, India has Lok Sabha (the House of People or Lower House) and the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States or Upper House).
Both houses have a role in passing rulings, creating laws and the day-to-day working of the country.
My theme as Lord Mayor is celebrating Bristol’s international relationships ?
?? Happy 76th Republic Day to India!
Earlier today the Deputy Lord Mayor was joined by the Indian diaspora to raise their national flag here at @BristolCouncil City Hall ? pic.twitter.com/XpFJM3dqFB
— Bristol Lord Mayor (@brislordmayor) January 24, 2025
However, their inspiration did not stop in steps to create the government.
Indian leaders had seen that laws could be violated, people would try to overstep them and there had to be definite ways to tackle such situations.
There came the rule of law – the belief that every person, irrespective of their hierarchical position is subject to the law. No one in India is believed to be above the law.
While many might look at these adaptations from the British as “copying” and might argue that this was to reduce their work, I have a different perspective.
I believe that the best way to run a country is to have a structure that has been tested and has stood the test of time.
In borrowing from the British, the Dutch, the French and others the Indian leaders decided to take what would suit India best.
They did not essentially “copy” from one structure – they learnt the structure of every country, to retain what would work for India best.
When I was first introduced to this, I thought of it as India’s first and very humble method to introduce globalisation.
Even though this term would enter the Indians’ dictionary much later in 1991, being able to work and operate in the same way as developed countries gave India the chance to be treated as equals in a growingly hostile environment.
But 76 years after the constitution was formally adopted, there are discrepancies. Loopholes in the writing are used and laws are over turned to favour the powerful. The poor still struggle to be heard and injustice is still prevalent.
As someone who wants to make a difference, I hope that reading and understanding the law would help Indians and other nationals across the country unite in spirit and fight for the rightful implementation of a constitution that took two years, eleven months and seventeen days to be drafted.
To my fellow Indians everywhere, take this day to learn more about our diverse constitution and spread the word across the world.
This is an opinion piece by Karen Johnson, a reporter at Bristol24/7
Karen Johnson has been a reporter at Bristol24/7 since 2024 and is currently editing the EatDrink24/7 guide for publication later in 2025 – photo: Karen Johnson
Main photo: Asian Voice
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