Review: Fraternity; Constitutional Norm and Human Need by Rajmohan Gandhi

We live in an epoch when the words “secular” and “socialist” were deleted from the preamble in copies of the Indian constitution presented to parliamentarians upon the opening of the new parliament. At a time when “one nation, one language, one religion” is the clarion call from many corridors, historian and former member of the Rajya Sabha, Rajmohan Gandhi, also the grandson of the father of the nation, MK Gandhi, and the country’s last governor general, C Rajagopalachari, has presented us with a lucid companion on the rarely emphasised virtue and concept of fraternity enshrined by the preamble of our constitution. “The volume is not a simple elucidation of fraternity but a questioning narrative that outlines the limits and scopes of this “brotherhood”, which was and can be a prime glue to weld our unity in diversity.” 132pp, Rs399; Speaking Tiger In his introduction, Mander illuminates the gains in translation made by Hindi translators of the constitution with regards to the word “fraternity”. Author Raj Mohan Gandhi The final chapter asks its eponymous question, “Will that day come?” He quotes from Harsh Mander to point to two similar yet different train incidents from 2017 in India and America. R Gandhi points to the increasing loss of “neighbourliness”, of fellowship and fraternity with fellow Indians here, but also gives examples of “the power of radical, fearless love” such as Hindu upper caste Mohan Dixit apologising to a group of Muslims harassed by a policeman for simply being Muslim.