Read the passage and answer the questions:
Constitution: Real Minorities are the Masses of this Country
Welcoming the Objectives Resolution introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru, N.G. Ranga said: Sir, there is a lot of talk about minorities. Who are the real minorities? Not the Hindus in the so-called Pakistan provinces, not the Sikhs, not even the Muslims. No, the real minorities are the masses of this country. These people are so depressed and oppressed and suppressed till now that they are not able to take advantage of the ordinary civil rights. What is the position? You go to the tribal areas. According to law, their own traditional law, their tribal law, their lands cannot be alienated. Yet our merchants go there, and in the so-called free market they are able to snatch their lands. Thus, even though the law goes against this snatching away of their lands, still the merchants are able to turn the tribal people into veritable slaves by various kinds of bonds, and make them hereditary bond- slaves. Let us go to the ordinary villagers. There goes the money-lender with his money and he is able to get the villagers in his pocket. There is the landlord himself, the zamindar, and the malguzar and there are the various other people who are able to exploit these poor villagers. There is no elementary education even among these people. These are the real minorities that need protection and assurances of protection. In order to give them the necessary protection, we will need much more than this Resolution.
Which of the following is necessary to protect the rights of the tribal people?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Constitutional protection of the welfare-state
Ranga ends by saying that the masses are “the real minorities that need protection and assurances of protection”, and that giving it will need much more than this Resolution. Only the state, through the Constitution, can give such protection against those who exploit them.
Option (1) Merchants who purchase tribal lands — Incorrect. The merchants are the exploiters: they snatch tribal lands and bind the people in bonds.
Option (2) Role of Money-lenders — Incorrect. The money-lender is the one who “is able to get the villagers in his pocket”; he is part of the problem.
Option (3) Control by Zamindars and the Malguzars — Incorrect. Ranga names the zamindar and the malguzar among those who exploit the poor villagers; more of their control would hurt, not protect.
Option (4) Constitutional protection of the welfare-state — Correct. Protection and assurances of protection from the state are what the poor need to enjoy their rights.
NCERT: Themes in Indian History Part III — Chapter 12: Framing the Constitution (2026-27)
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