Monday, May 20

A New Constitution Without ‘Socialist Secular’?

Edited by Meenu Mathew
A New Constitution Without 'Socialist Secular'? (Image: screengrab from Sansad TV Live)

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the terms “secular” and “socialist” had been removed from the copies of the Constitution of India received by MPs. 

The experience of officially shifting the parliament sessions, from the 96-year old gothic revival red stone structure to the technically advanced concrete lion-top, with the Prime Minister holding a copy of the Indian Constitution was a sight of pride and gratification for all the citizens of India.

But now the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has come up with a big claim on the copies of Constitution given to the MP’s (Member of Parliament) at the time of Parliament shifting.

Mr Chowdhury asserted on Tuesday that the copies provided lack words ‘socialist secular’ in the preamble.

“The new copies of the Constitution that were given to us today (19th September), the one we held in our hands and entered (the new Parliament building), its Preamble doesn’t have the words ‘socialist secular’ “, said the Congress leader to the news agency ANI.

The copies were given to the MP’s before entering the Parliament building on September 19, as part of the parliament shifting.

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950. It was in 1976, the terms ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were inserted into the preamble as part of the 42nd Amendment.

Mr Chowdhury alleged that failure in including the terms is a matter of suspicion and concern.

“We know that the words were added after an amendment in 1976 but if someone gives us the Constitution today and it doesn’t have those words, it is a matter of concern…Their intention is suspicious”, Mr Chowdhury added.

According to him, the change was “done cleverly”.

“It has been done cleverly. It is a matter of concern for me. I tried to raise this issue but I did not get an opportunity to raise this issue”, he told to ANI.

On Tuesday he read the the Preamble in the new Parliament building, and said, “This Constitution is no less than Gita, Quran and Bible for us”.

“Article 1 says, India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states… It means that there is no difference between India and Bharat. It will be better if nobody tries to unnecessarily create a rift between the two”, he added addressing the parliament.

 

Preamble of the Indian Constitution

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

 

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