We, The People
A Constitutional Zine Series for the Curious, the Creative, and the Constitutionally Clueless.
I came across this article about a constitutional literacy initiative that changed people's mindsets. This inspired me to combine two of my interests: one being diving into constitutional values to present them to people, and the other being creative with writing and designing my writing.
So, I started digging because the surface level is soft and I am no one to drop a shovel and run away.
Context Corner
Why This Matters
Did you know that only 40% of Indians are familiar with their constitutional rights and duties?
According to a 2015 study by the Magna Carta Trust, nearly 80 crore people in India are unaware of how the Constitution directly affects their lives. Thatâs not just a stat â thatâs a silence waiting to be broken.
But hereâs the good news â change is already brewing. In places like Kollam, Kerala, the people didnât wait around. They built awareness from the ground up, becoming Indiaâs first constitution-literate district.
And movements like these arenât isolated. Across the country, more people are learning how to âKnow Your Rightsâ and act on them. These sparks remind us that constitutional literacy isnât just academicâitâs urgent. Itâs actionable. And it belongs to all of us.
So...
Welcome to We, The People â a zine series by The Constitutional Pal, where constitutional values meet creative expression. A space where we break down complex constitutional concepts into engaging, accessible, and thought-provoking zines. Whether youâre a student, educator, activist, or just constitution-curious about the fundamentals of law and governance, this series is for all of us!
Whatâs This About?
Understanding the constitution isnât just for lawyersâitâs for everyone. A constitution shapes the rights, duties, and structure of a country, and yet, many of us have never truly explored its depth. These zines aim to change that by offering:
- Simple, insightful explanations of constitutional principles
- Interactive elements like polls, thought exercises, and real events
- A growing collection of zines covering different aspects of constitutional literacy
Itâs time we made the Constitution part of our everyday vocabularyânot just something we hear in courtrooms or textbooks or gatekept for research papers and dusty libraries.
But... Why Zines?
Zines are bold, DIY booklets that blend visuals with bite-sized ideasâperfect for flipping through on your commute, your couch, or your classroom. Zines are anti-elitist by nature. So is the idea of constitutional literacy for everyone.
Starting Point: The Ready Reckoner
Before diving into the zines, check out the Ready Reckoner, a foundational guide that introduces key ideas and helps you assess your constitutional awareness.
Download the Ready Reckoner (or read it online)
The Zine Collection (coming soon!)
Support Me (Please�)
If you find these zines valuable, consider supporting the project on Ko-fi. Your support helps keep this initiative growing, and you might even get early access to future editions! Every cup of tea fuels another zine â and another conversation.
Peopleâs Footnotes | Voices from the Ground
[Your Thoughts Go Here]
What did this spark in you? What have you lived that this zine didnât say? Can you recall a moment when a right was pivotal in your life? How does a constitutional principle resonate with your personal experiences?
Things I Donât Know Yet | Things I Might Be Wrong About
I am writing this as someone in motion. Not as an expert. I am still sitting with contradictions. I donât know what accountability looks like when power is this lopsided. I donât know if peaceful protest will ever be enough. I donât know if constitutional language can stretch to hold our lived realities. But I do know we have to keep asking. Though, I wonder how this principle applies in today's digital age. I'm uncertain about the balance between security and freedom in this context.
An Update [June, 2025]
So. Due to a lack of time, I have come to a realisation that making monthly zines might not be feasible for me. So, I have started the process of compiling each zine's content written till now and I will probably turn it to a book/-let.
Another Update [June, 2025] - Updated Concept Note
This is a writing sample from a personal legal literacy project I conceptualized, which reflects my interest in gender-transformative constitutional engagement and accessible communication. This project is currently in the ideation phase. All writing and frameworks herein are original and authored by me, and shared for illustrative purposes only. This is a concept I hope to develop further independently in the future. For this purpose, Iâm archiving it here to showcase my skills in feminist legal communication.
The Constitution is not a distant text. According to a 2015 study by the Magna Carta Trust, nearly 80 crore people in India are unaware of how the Constitution directly affects their lives. For most citizens, especially rural women, adolescent girls, and marginalized communities, the Indian Constitution is often treated as something sacred but unreachable. Legal terms like âfundamental rightsâ or âdue processâ feel like they belong in courtrooms or textbooks. But what if we brought the Constitution into village meetings, community spots, and classrooms?
This project aims to bridge that distance. It reframes constitutional literacy as a feminist issue by locating it in the daily lives of women navigating power, law, and state systems. The Indian Constitution itself affirms this relevance: Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, while Article 39A mandates equal justice and free legal aid, especially for the marginalised. Yet these guarantees often remain hidden in legalese, inaccessible to those they most intend to serve. Through illustrated handbooks, storytelling-based workshops, and grassroots dialogue, we hope to reintroduce the Constitution not as a legal manual, but as a lived, breathing guide to dignity, equality, and daily justice.
Across India, constitutional literacy is alarmingly low. But bright spots like Kollam, Kerala, the countryâs first constitution-literate district, show whatâs possible when education is rooted in community voice. This project takes inspiration from those efforts, while adding a creative spin: zines as tools of legal empowerment. These short, visual DIY booklets offer simple, sharp takes on constitutional principles from the right to equality to the freedom of speech in everyday language and design.
Why zines? Because zines are inherently accessible. They democratize information and challenge elitist modes of legal education. So should the Constitution. The zines will have elements that will allow people to assess your own constitutional awareness, peppered with real-life caselets, interactive questions, and space for personal reflection. The zine series would carry titles like âMy Rights, My Rulesâ, âWhat is Equality, Really?â, or âThe Constitution Goes to the Panchayatâ: each issue unpacking core principles through locally grounded narratives and bite-sized legal insight. My recent experience designing legal toolkits for Sakshi NGO including POCSO handbooks and survivor-centric GBV manuals has shown me how powerful accessible design and community-rooted legal education can be. This personal project builds on that same ethos, with a sharper focus on constitutional values and gender justice. Legal empowerment isn't just about knowing your rights, it's about recognizing your power to act. In times of shrinking civic space and rising misinformation, constitutional literacy becomes an act of resistance. And for women, it becomes a strategy for survival and solidarity. In todayâs climate of rising digital disinformation, targeted gender backlash, and legal regression, equipping women and girls with constitutional fluency isnât just educational, itâs urgent. We cannot fight for rights we donât know we hold.
While this remains a conceptual project for now, it is deeply personal and rooted in my lived commitment to gender-transformative legal education. My work designing GBV legal tools, rights-based handbooks, and IEC materials with Sakshi NGO has shown me how the law can be made not just legible, but livable.
Through this project, I hope to build a bridge between the Constitutionâs promise and the lived realities of women who rarely get to speak its language. Because if we want justice to mean something, we must make sure everyone, not just lawyers, knows where it begins.