History · Ch 12 — Framing the Constitution — The Beginning of a New Era
“The centre is likely to break”
“The centre is likely to break”
The section opens with the Constituent Assembly’s debate on the nature of the Indian Union. The phrase “The centre is likely to break” captures the fear of many members that a strong central government would inevitably collapse under the weight of India’s immense diversity. This anxiety was voiced most sharply by those who favoured a loose federation, arguing that only by granting substantial autonomy to provinces could the Union hold together. The textbook presents this as a central tension: the choice between a powerful cen …
Source 9 — "Who is a better patriot?" Sir A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar of Mysore, in the debate of 21 August 1947 on Centre–state powers (CAD):
Let us not lay the flattering unction to our soul that we are better patriots if we propose a strong Centre and that those who advocate a more vigorous examination of these resources are people with not enough of national spirit or patriotism. Who is a better patriot? …