A stalwart who put his stamp on the Constitution

Remembering jurist, statesman Benegal Narsing Rau on R-Day

In fact, Rau was responsible for the general structure of the Indian Constitution (as well as Burma) and prepared its original draft. The Constituent Assembly’s resolution in setting up the Drafting Committee, under the chairmanship of B R Ambedkar, declared that it was being set up to “scrutinise the draft of the text of the Constitution prepared by the Constitutional Adviser (B N Rau) giving effect to the decisions taken already in the Assembly,” which proves the fact that B N Rau was solely resonsible for the draft Constitution.

Another interesting aspect about Rau is that he offered his services free of cost. The President of the Constituent Assembly Dr Rajendra Prasad, before signing the Constitution on November 26, 1949, thanked Rau for having “worked honorarily, assisting the Assembly not only with his knowledge and erudition but also enabled the other members to perform their duties with thoroughness and intelligence by supplying them with the material on which they could work,” reads a report on Rau.

Diplomatic career

Rau also served India as a representing delegate in the United Nations. From 1949 to 1952, he was India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, till he was appointed as a Judge of the International Court in The Hague.

He served as the President of the United Nations Security Council in 1950. Interestingly, Rau also served as the Prime Minister of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir for a short period, soon after his retirement.

‘A rare gem’

After dedicating his entire life for the betterment of world community, Rau passed away in a Zurich hospital on November 30, 1953. 

While Jawaharlal Nehru termed Rau as “a rare gem,” the UNO termed his death as “a loss to the world community” and Russian delegates called him “a saint among the delegates,” according to a book on Eminent Chitrapur Saraswats of the 20th century, published by Young Chitrapur Saraswats Association.

About his performance at the UNO, the New York daily Mirror said: “For sheer brilliance in the United Nations, India’s Rau is far ahead of Britain’s whimsical Sir Gladwyn Jebb or America’s excitable Warren Austin.” Perhaps, this sums up Rau’s personality which is a combination of great talent, extraordinary capacity for sustained hard work, and rare humility which often forced him to stay anonymous.

The then Indian Ambassador to Switzerland, Y D Gundevia, condoling the death of Rau said, “the death of Benegal Narsing Rau is a very great loss. Every Indian has the benefit of the Constitution which Rau laboured hard to formulate for us. It is perhaps less known that he also had a substantial hand in the drafting of the Constitution of our neighbouring country, Burma. We have lost in one of our wisest counsellors.”

Early life

Born in Mangalore on February 26, 1887, in a family of intellectuals, Narsing Rau’s father Benegal Raghavendra Rau was an eminent doctor in the region.

After passing Matriculation in 1901 from the Canara High School here, topping the list of students of the entire Madras Presidency, Rau joined the Presidency College in Madras where he was hailed as a mathematical genius.

He also topped FA (Intermediate) examination and marched on to gain his degree with First Class marks in English, Sanskrit, and Mathematics. On a scholarship, he proceeded to Trinity College in Cambridge, and took his Tripos in 1909. The same year he passed the Indian Civil Service Examination, and returned to India and was posted to Bengal. His distinguished work brought him a Knighthood in 1938.

After retiring from service in 1944, he was appointed as the Constitutional Adviser to the Constituent Assembly in formulating the Indian Constitution.

R-day today

When India is celebrating yet another Republic Day on Wednesday, its time the Mangaloreans remember another son of the district who toiled hard in formulating the Indian Constitution, because of which India boasts of one of the best and original Constitutions in the world, that is, “Of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Small community, big names

Chitrapur Saraswats is a small community of not more than 40,000 people spread all over the world, though sparsely. Still Chitrapur Saraswats proudly claim a galaxy of noteworthy individuals who have contributed richly to the betterment of the world community.

Some of the people from the community who made big names include Desha Bhaktha Karnad Sadashiv Rao, Kudmul Ranga Rao, co-operator Molahalli Shiv Rao, Panje Mangesh Rao, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, film maker Shyam Benegal, Lt Governor Haldipur Ramdas N, writer Gourish Kaikini, Girish Karnad, Prakash Padukone and Santhosh Kumar Gulwady are just a few to mention.

‘He used to sign on notes!’

While gathering information on B N Rau, this correspondent happened to meet Gulwady Dattatreya Bhat, a 99-year-old man and a resident of Car Street. Though he could not recall many things about Rau, he said, “his brother used to sign on notes.” However, his son Mangaldas Gulwady explained that he was referring to B N Rau’s brother Benegal Rama Rau, who was the former Governor of Reserve Bank of India!