India, July 2 -- The Constitution of India enshrines a vision of justice - social, economic, and political - and a commitment to equality in status and opportunity. But history has shown us that these ideals are often contested terrain.

In the early decades after independence, as India grappled with urgent demands for land reform, social equity, and economic stability, the pillars of democracy - the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary - often stood at odds.

From the 1950s until the 1970s, India was crying out for reforms - agrarian and economic. Land redistribution was key, but it clashed directly with the constitutional right to property - then a Fundamental Right under Articles 19 and 31.

After years of wars, economic dispa...