Did you know that some members of the Assembly wanted to include a Fundamental Right to choose your partner? That the city-state of Aundh was the first Constitutional republic in India? Why was a report on the accession of Hyderabad not released until 2013? What really went into creating the Constitution of India?

The Constituent Assembly of India met over a period of nearly 3 years, to discuss, debate and decide upon the rules and norms that would govern independent India. Unlike the rosy depiction in popular history, the Assembly members were bitterly divided on their vision for the nation. At its core, the Assembly was discussing what it means to be Indian? And what are the values that would underpin the nation? Questions that we continue to grapple with in modern-day India.

Contested Nation is a podcast produced by The Equals Project and Suno India, that explores both, the questions of identity that were being discussed in the Assembly, and the Union that was being forged outside its hallowed halls. Each episode will explore one issue that was crucial to the Constitution and the creation of India, and discuss its continued importance today.