Will the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ in the Preamble of the Constitution be removed ?

The fundamental structure of the Constitution was the Preamble of 1950. In 1976, the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ were inserted into it. These ideologies were not new for the drafters of the Constitution, yet they did not incorporate these. The word ‘Secular’ was even discussed before being dropped. Thus, adding the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ in the Preamble was an attack on the original structure of the Constitution itself. Let us hope that the country’s top leaders and the Judges will try to rectify this mistake.

1. Inclusion of the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ in the Preamble of the Constitution by the then Congress Government is a big attack on the Constitution

The Preamble of the Constitution of India in 1950 called India a ‘Democratic Republic’. After 26 years, 2 heavy political words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ were inserted in it. Since then India was made a ‘Democratic Socialist Secular Republic’. Now the Supreme Court is going to hear the plea of BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy to make the Constitution as it originally was in 1950 because these words have corrupted the entire Constitution.

This amendment was made during the infamous Emergency of 1975-76. At that time, the decision of the Union Cabinet was being conveyed to their own Cabinet on the radio. The opposition was in jail and the media was under censorship (controlled by the Censorship Board). That is, the amendment was made forcibly without any deliberation.

That amendment was a fundamental distortion of the Constitution. Let’s consider 4 pieces of evidence here. First, the Constitutionalists at home and overseas considered the original Preamble to be the most important. The great British political scientist Sir Ernest Barker (1874-1960) in his famous book ‘Principles of Social and Political Theory’ quoted the entire Preamble of the Indian Constitution at the very beginning. He believed that it contained everything. It was a commendable thing for us.

Second, in India too, the Preamble was called the ‘soul’, ‘root’, etc. of the Constitution in the fields of political science and law.

Third, in the year 1960, the Supreme Court also termed the Preamble as a ‘Directive’, which would guide other Sections and Articles of the Constitution in case of difficulty.

Fourth, in the year 1973, the Supreme Court yet again declared the Preamble as the fundamental structure of the Constitution in the ‘Kesavananda Bharati’ case.

At first glance, it is apparent that the major change in the Preamble has fundamentally shaken the Constitution. Also, this amendment of the Preamble was made in a dictatorial manner. The basic structure was the Preamble of the Constitution of 1950. The amendment in 1976 was a major blow, because it was a deliberate act.

The ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ ideologies were not new to the drafters of the Constitution. They had thoughtfully dropped ‘Secularism’. ‘Socialism’ was then the most popular ideology in Europe, where most of India’s Constitution makers were educated. Hence, apparently, they deliberately avoided calling the Republic of India ‘Secular’ or ‘Socialist’.

2. Rise of anti-Hindu mentality in Indian politics after the addition of these words to the Constitution

Thus, in the year 1976, a conspiracy was hatched to change the character of the Constitution by adding the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ in the Preamble. Its results were also very devastating. Since then, an anti-Hindu mentality has grown in Indian politics, which has gradually become a nuisance for the entire political, educational and cultural life.

Regardless of the intentions of the Congress and leftist authoritarian rulers of the time, socialism is a political ideology which has always been opposed to Democracy. Other parties were forcibly destroyed in all socialist countries from Russia and China to Eastern Europe and Latin America.

Various socialist parties were formed in democratic countries as well. Thus, the addition of ‘Socialism’ to the Preamble of the Constitution was a blow to its democratic character. This amendment was made after imprisoning all opposition parties and censoring the media.
Then, by making ‘Socialism’ the basic guideline, the communists and socialist parties gained undue importance and moral power. Therefore, citizens or parties which do not agree with socialism can be called ‘second class’. This is nothing less than dictator-ship to force everyone to become a socialist ! It will be like coercing citizens and parties who believe in other ideologies to become socialists.

3. Political leaders succeeded in hatching anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim conspiracies using words

This conspiracy can be understood from the fact that the Constitution is the foundation on which other laws can be made. The words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ added to the Preamble are left undefined, which has become the cause of many diseases. Every type of anti-Hindu and pro-Islam policy is being called secularism.

Various types of grants from the ruling party to those who look at the party’s interests, the annual massive expenditure, huge losses in public sector organisations, loot, etc. are carried out in the name of socialism. This partisanship and plunder are understood by everyone, but all our leaders continue to refer to them as secularism or socialism. Neither the Parliament nor the Courts have given a concrete meaning to or defined these words, which can understand the misuse that goes on under the guise of secularism.

The Indian Constitution has become ridiculous because of its vague directions regarding the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’. Not only this, attempts to define them concretely have also been thwarted. Influential leaders, Courts and intellectuals – all have a vested interest in keeping it obscure. Due to this, many of their anti-Hindu conspiracies go on easily. It is under this cover that the imperialist ideology and its allies at home and overseas run their business, motivated by a permanent animosity towards the Hindu society. All this proved harmful to the country because anti-Hinduism is ultimately anti-nationalism whatever be the motive of these people.

4. It is necessary to remove the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ to preserve the basic structure of Democracy in the Constitution

The ‘divide and rule’ policy has been going on only because the word ‘secularism’ is undefined. This is why, the religious institutions of Muslims are given political subsidies, while Hindus are not even allowed to govern their religious educational institutions. Mosques and churches have full authority over their communities. The Government does not even touch them. On the other hand, Hindu temples are controlled by the Government. Through this control, the income from the temples is also used for anti-Hindu activities. This arbitrariness could not have succeeded if the basic democratic spirit of equality of the Constitution had not been tampered with.

Currently in India, non-Hindu communities have more rights than Hindus in every sphere of education, culture and politics. This was beyond the imagination of even the drafters of the Constitution. The entire discussion of the Constituent Assembly is published verbatim, and it does not contain a single line in this regard. So, this is a blatant injustice against Hindus, which has been going on unabated and it is not being done by Aurangzeb or by Curzon, but by various Hindu rulers and Judges in their own land. This seems appropriate to Hindu intellectuals and journalists. This is a betrayal for all Hindus, who have no guardian in the world.

Even the British Government did not discriminate against Hindus to the extent it is in the independent India today. The word ‘Secular’ forcibly inserted into the Constitution comes in handy to hide this blatant injustice. This has been going on for the past 47 years due to the connivance and stupidity of all parties. Even if all parties had agreed, it does not absolve the nature of injustice it perpetrates. In the past few decades, the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ have played a dangerous role in Indian politics, education and culture. So, it is necessary to get rid of them.

Apparently, adding the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ in the Preamble was an attack on the original structure of the Constitution itself. Only the originally drafted Constitution can be called the true Constitution. Finally, the removal of these words would render the basic structure of the Constitution retroactively ‘democratic’, which the drafters of the Constitution had earlier intended. Let’s hope that the country’s top leaders and Judges will put an end to this firmly.

– Prof. Shankar Sharan, New Delhi. (9.12.2022)

Over time, the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ have played a dangerous role in Indian politics, education and culture !