Calling the Constitution of India present-day Manusmriti is an unconscionable vulgarisation

In a new piece for The Leaflet wherem I dissect the claims that the constitution is a modern-day Manusmriti. You can read the whole piece on the Leaflet's website, but here is an excerpt:

As an aspirational charter of rights, the Constitution is a radical experiment in abolishing caste, and creating truly equal citizenship. All of the ideas which are central to a liberal democracy are alien to Manusmriti. The principles between the two are incommensurable, and one cannot live while the other survives. Today, the fight is between Manu and Dr. Ambedkar, and Dr. Ambedkar will win for sure.

Retired Supreme Court judge, the late Justice P.B. Sawant wrote in The Wire, “Our country is large. It is multi-caste, multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural. Our constitution has set before us a vision which is humanist, universal, rational and scientific. It aims to unite, and not divide. It seeks to empower all men and women. It desires to provide equal rights and opportunities. The inherently inhuman, iniquitous and unjust ancient texts like Manusmriti are an anathema to the aims and objectives of our constitution. Dr. Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti in 1927, would we have the courage to rise up against it today?”