Author: Koushik Shaw
Abstract: The drafting of the Indian Constitution (1946–1949) is frequently analyzed through a male-centric lens, often obscuring the substantive contributions of the fifteen women who served in the Constituent Assembly. This study focuses specifically on the representatives from Bengal, such as Renuka Ray and Leela Roy, to identify the unique socio-political barriers they navigated and the strategies they employed to secure gender equality. Utilizing content analysis of the Constituent Assembly Debates, archival records, and memoirs, the research reveals that these women faced a “relio-masculine complex” and institutional paternalism, compounded by the regional trauma of the Partition. The findings indicate that Bengali representatives rejected “protective” measures like reservations in favor of a merit-based “equality jurisprudence,” a strategic choice that fundamentally shaped Article 15 of the Indian Constitution. This study fills a critical gap in constitutional history by illustrating how these women transitioned from descriptive representation to substantive policy influence, highlighting the intersection of regional identity and feminist agency in India’s nation-building process.
Keywords: Constituent Assembly of India, Women’s Political Agency, Bengali Representatives, Equality Jurisprudence, Renuka Ray, Socio-Political Barriers.
Page No: 120-128