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Abstract

This review of Sandipto Dasgupta’s Legalizing the Revolution: India and the Constitution of the Postcolony (Cambridge University Press 2024) delves into the complex legacy of constitutionalism in postcolonial India. The book assesses constitutionalism in India as an instrument that translated the revolutionary aspirations of an anticolonial mass movement into a legal framework for societal transformation. Dasgupta illuminates constitutionalism’s dynamic mediation of conflicting visions from India’s diverse masses and its political leaders, demonstrating how it intertwined the promise of anticolonialism with enduring tensions of representation, legal interpretation, and bureaucratic planning. He critically analyses its role in the development discourse in India, its accommodation of the voice of the Indian people, and its negotiation between colonial legacies and ambitions of democratic reinvention. The review evaluates Dasgupta’s methodological innovation in treating constitutionalism as an evolving project and assesses his argument about “the people” as authors of India’s political destiny. While appreciating its nuanced take on constitutionalism, it identifies areas where the book overlooks popular contributions to constitutionalism and alternate visions of development rooted in diverse epistemologies. The review situates the book within the current crises of constitutionalism in India, reflecting on its relevance for understanding India’s political trajectory as a postcolonial democracy. This discussion contributes to ongoing debates on the intersection of democracy, law, and decolonisation, making Dasgupta’s insights indispensable for scholars and practitioners alike.

Custom Citation

Shaunna Rodrigues, 'On the Promises and Failures of Anticolonial Constitutionalism in India: A Review of Sandipto Dasgupta’s Legalizing the Revolution' (2024) 20(1) Socio-Legal Review 148.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.55496/DGMJ3454

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