Living wage, etc., for workers

Article 34, Draft Constitution of India 1948

The State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities.

Article 43, Constitution of India 1950

The State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to promote cottage industries on an individual or cooperative basis in rural areas.

Draft Article 34 (Article 43) was debated in the Constituent Assembly on 23 November 1948. It aimed to protect and promote the interest of workers.

The debate began with and centred around an amendment that proposed to add a line directing the State to ensure that rural areas were economically self-sufficient by encouraging the use of swadeshi goods and the promotion of cottage industries.

It was argued that there was a stark difference in the economic fortunes of villages/rural areas as compared to cities; the growth of economic opportunity in cities came at the cost of the villages. Indians were abandoning rural India for greener economic pastures in cities. The Member who moved the amendment felt that cottage industries could play a critical role in the economic transformation and empowerment of rural areas.

Another member chimed in and noted that capitalists should be not be given the lead to facilitate the emergence of cottage industries. The approach that members settled on was to organise these centres of economic activity around cooperative societies.

The debate also saw members engaging with larger themes. They argued that economic and social democracy were prerequisites for the success of political democracy. As one member put it, ‘Political consciousness and patriotism will come only when they are economically contended.’

Finally, the Assembly acepted the amendmendts and adopted the Draft Article in modified form, with the addition of the term ‘agricultural workers‘ and reference to the the promotion of cottage industries.