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Constitutional Design - Notes

COnstitution notes9

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7 views

Constitutional Design - Notes

COnstitution notes9

Uploaded by

vs.gamingvinay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Constitutional Design – Questions and Answers

Q1. What is Apartheid? Who imposed this system?

 Apartheid was the name of the system of racial discrimination unique to


South Africa.
 This system was imposed by the ‘white’ Europeans on the people of South
Africa.
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Q2. How did apartheid divide people on racial basis?

A large number of ‘whites’ had settled in South Africa and had become
the local rulers. All non-whites were treated as inferiors by the white
rulers. The non-whites did not have voting rights. The apartheid system
was particularly oppressive for the native Africans.
 The system of apartheid divided the people on the basis of their skin
colour. The native people of South Africa were ‘Blacks’. They made up
about three-fourth of the population. Besides this group, there were two
others - people of mixed races who were called ‘coloured’ and people
who migrated from India. The blacks, the coloured and the Indians had
fought against the apartheid system since 1950.
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Q4 How was racial discrimination followed in South Africa?

• The blacks were forbidden from living in white areas and they could work
in white areas only if they had a permit.
• Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, hospitals, schools, colleges and libraries were
separate for whites and blacks.
• They could not visit the churches where the whites worshipped.
• Blacks could not form associations or protest against this kind of
treatment.

_________________________________________________________________________

Q5. Who led the struggle against the white racist government?

 The African National Congress led the struggle against apartheid.


 It was the umbrella organization that led the struggle against the policies
of segregation.

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Constitutional Design – Questions and Answers

They also organized protests and strikes. ANC included many workers’
unions and the Communist Party.
 Many sensitive whites also joined the ANC to oppose apartheid and
played a leading role in this struggle. Several countries denounced
apartheid as unjust and racist.
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Q6. How did the new democratic nation of South Africa emerge?

 As protests and struggles against apartheid started to increase, the


government realized that they could no longer keep the blacks under
their rule through repression.
The white regime changed its policies. Discriminatory laws were
repealed.
 Ban on political parties and restrictions on the media were lifted.
 Nelson Mandela walked out of the jail as a free man after 28 years of
imprisonment.
 The new national flag of the Republic of South Africa was unfurled at the
midnight of 26th April 1994.
 The apartheid government came to an end, paving way for the formation
of a multi-racial government.
 Nelson Mandela became the first President of this New South Africa.
______________________________________________________________________

Q7. How was the constitution of South Africa drawn up ?


 A common Constitution was drawn up by the party that ruled through
oppression and brutal killings and the party that led the freedom
struggle.
 It took two years of discussion and debate to make one of the finest
constitutions of the world. This constitution gave its citizens the most
extensive rights available in any country.
 They agreed that everybody should become part of the solution,
whatever they might have done in the past. The South African
constitution inspires democrats all over the world.
____________________________________________________________________

Q.8 What were the points of discussion and interest for the blacks in
independent South Africa?
• The black majority was keen to ensure that the democratic principle of
majority rule was not compromised. The blacks agreed that majority rule
would not be absolute.
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Constitutional Design – Questions and Answers

• They wanted substantial social and economic rights. They agreed that the
majority would not take away the property of the white minority.
_____________________________________________________________________

Q9 What did the white minority want from the independent South Africa?
• The white minority was keen to protect its privileges and property. The
whites agreed to the principle of majority rule and that of one person one
vote.
• They also agreed to accept some basic rights for the poor and the workers.
_______________________________________________________________________

Q10. Why was a constitution required in South Africa?


 The only way to build and maintain trust in the South African situation
was to write down some rules of the game that everyone would abide by.
 These rules would lay down how the rulers are to be chosen in future.
These rules decide the rights of the citizen. This set of basic rules is
called a constitution.
________________________________________________________________________

Q11. What is the significance of the Constitution?


• The constitution generates a degree of trust and coordination that is
necessary for different kinds of people to live together.
• It also specifies how the government will be constituted, who will have
power to take which decisions.
• It lays down limits on the powers of the government and tells us what the
rights of the citizens are.
• It expresses the aspirations of the people about creating a good society.
______________________________________________________________________

Q12.Why should we accept the Constitution made by the Constituent Assembly


more than fifty years ago?

• The Constitution expresses a broad consensus of its time and not only the
views of its members.
• Another reason for accepting the Constitution is that the Constituent
Assembly which drafted the Constitution represented the people of India.
• The members of the Constituent Assembly could not have been chosen
directly by all the people of India as there was no Universal Adult
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Constitutional Design – Questions and Answers

Franchise at that time.The Assembly represented members from different


language groups, castes, classes, religions and occupations This ensured
fair representation from all the regions of the country.
• Every document presented and every word spoken in the Constituent
Assembly has been recorded and preserved. These are called ‘Constituent
Assembly Debates’ .

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