During a class discussion on the making of the Constitution, Meera reads out notes on a speech made in the Constituent Assembly in its first winter of work. The speaker urged the members, and Indians in general, to free themselves fully from the influences of imperial rule. He reminded them that the foreign rulers had not yet left the country. He added that the interim administration in Delhi could act only under the directions of the Viceroy and of the government in London. Meera's teacher asks the class to identify the speaker and the charge he laid against the Assembly itself.
Who made the speech that Meera reads out?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Somnath Lahiri
Option (1) Somnath Lahiri — Correct. <strong>Somnath Lahiri</strong>, a Communist member, saw the <strong>dark hand of British imperialism</strong> over the Assembly. He urged Indians to free themselves fully from imperial rule.
Option (2) Jawaharlal Nehru — Incorrect. Nehru headed the interim administration himself. He admitted the British had a hand in the Assembly's birth, but stressed that it drew its strength from the people.
Option (3) Vallabhbhai Patel — Incorrect. Patel is quoted inside Lahiri's speech as saying Indians had freedom only to fight among themselves. The speech itself was not his.
Option (4) N.G. Ranga — Incorrect. N.G. Ranga spoke in the Assembly for peasants and the poor. The attack on imperial influence over the Assembly came from Lahiri.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 The will of the people |