The Hindu

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, January 29, 2015
Updated: January 29, 2015 01:32 IST
Let nation debate Preamble: Ravi Shankar

A photograph of the Preamble before the 42nd Amendment was introduced in 1976.

The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday jumped into the controversy created by the remarks of the Shiv Sena earlier in the day that the words “socialist and secular” should be dropped from the Preamble to the Constitution.

Union Telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad indicated that the government wanted a debate on whether the words should be in the Preamble.

“We do not need these words to be a secular country; even without them we are a secular country,” Mr. Prasad said.

Introduced in 1976
Pointing out that the two words were introduced in the Preamble in 1976 during the Emergency, Mr. Prasad told presspersons: “What is wrong if there is a debate on these two words. Let us see what the nation wants.”

On whether the government would continue to use the original Preamble for official purposes, he said that was the plan.

Mr. Prasad was responding to questions on the controversy over the Information and Broadcasting Ministry using a watermark of the original Preamble in two Republic Day print advertisements.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore had on Tuesday described the controversy as “uncalled-for,” and pointed out that the same picture had been used in official advertisements earlier also.

Underlining the fact that the founding fathers of the Constitution had not included the words “socialist and secular” in the original Preamble to the Constitution, Mr. Prasad sought to draw a distinction between Jawaharlal Nehru’s understanding of secularism and that of the Congress now.

“Was Pandit Nehru’s understanding of secularism less than that of the present-day Congress leaders,” he asked.

To this, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said: “No other party has a doubtful integrity clause on secularism like the Bharatiya Janata Party and that is the reason this has become an issue.”

He pointed out that the 42nd Constitution Amendment was with “retrospective” effect.

As for Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s remark that his party welcomed the omission of the two words — even if it was inadvertent — the Congress maintained that this only proved that the 1950 Preamble had been chosen for the advertisement with a clear agenda. “And, to test waters.’’

Describing the omission of the two words from the Preamble used in government advertisements as a “sacrilegious insult” to the ethos of the Constitution, Mr. Surjewala demanded an apology from the government and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his position and understanding on “secularism and socialism.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Raut had said that India had never been secular.

“Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray and before him Sarvarkar always said that if Pakistan was carved out after Partition for Muslims, then the rest of the country is a Hindu Rashtra. The Shiv Sena has always believed in this,” he said.

Keywords: Preamble to Constitution of India, Shiv Sena demand, 42nd Amendment, Ravi Shankar Prasad,



Brilliant move by the GOI.

Every Indian needs to debate this topic and then give the words of Socialiistic & Secularitic the place it belongs te dust bin.

Right after when the Vice President of India did not salute the flag of Bharat or also called say my avatars name and after the lecture Barack gave in Siri Fort about Indias future dependent on freedom of religious conversions and within a few hours his wife Michelle was humiliated by the Saudis right in front of the billions and now Whit House is asking for an explanation. Both were acts in the name of religion and Sharia while they want secularism for others?.

I sorry that I'm not active on CD as I'm now really active on Indian new sites like The Hindu and The New Indian Express. Even yesterday Sushashini Haidar had soft peddle to my comments on the Hindu online chat/debate on Obamas visit to India. To my question why there nil coverage on US TV channels to this visit while the whole focus is on Deflategate street whole debate went just like CD attack on Sicular people.

India became a Hindu Rasthra after independence and a new nation was created for Muslims vide Pakistan. In 1976 Cong I brought in this preamble to satisfy the Sicular vote bank. This has to be thrown out.

Good we will do it now and it'll happen in my lifetime.

The recent census of India whose results will be out shortly will show the hidden danger as in the words of Pope Francis in Manila "breed like pigs". Wait & Watch for this statistics and and cry for the damage Congress I has unleashed on Bharath.

Congress Mukth Bharath!

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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.

"Right after when the Vice President of India did not salute the flag of Bharat or also called say my avatars name and after the lecture Barack gave in Siri Fort about Indias future dependent on freedom of religious conversions and within a few hours his wife Michelle was humiliated by the Saudis right in front of the billions and now Whit House is asking for an explanation. Both were acts in the name of religion and Sharia while they want secularism for others?"

Obama might have reminded us about India's Article 25 during an ongoing controversy of a religious preacher in Tamil nadu who is also a senior IAS Officer (Mr.Uma Shankar, who unearthed many scams in 90s). Is it a mere coincidence that this officer too talks about Article 25 for his Pentacosta religious right superceding that of IAS Conduct Rules and that too during/shortly after Obama visit?
Athithi Devo Bhava and we suffered for 1000 years and thanks to Modi we may suffer for another millenium.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by ramar2005
Athithi Devo Bhava and we suffered for 1000 years and thanks to Modi we may suffer for another millenium.

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Modi had invited "Barack" as the head of another democratic nation hoping to forge better friendship/alliance/partnership, whatever we may call, only as two great democracies.

But Obama is pandering to "practicing christians" constituency in his own country when he reminds us about our own Article 25 of Indian Constitution. Some of whom are funding NGOs in India who are brazenly indulging in religious conversions by coercion and inducements. And our "pradesh" are becoming "land" sowing the seeds for separatism and balkanisation.

Will Obama as a lawyer or a leader or as even common American like if we quote from American Constitution and say what that country must do or not do. He reminds us of not "Amitabh and SRK", but only SRK. Obama reminds not of Dhoni and Milkha Singh" but only Milkha Singh. Here he is creating a divide even between Hindu and Sikhs both sub continental religions.

In a recent TV interview a senior IAS officer also "happens to quote" from the same Article 25 for his religious propagation activity. Obama had hardly waved hands and left. This IAS officer flaunts his own religious book on national television and says that will supercede his IAS Officers Conduct and Rule Book. We in India know about how these religious meetings are conducted claiming to cure all illnesses starting from common cold to even cancer.

All hell would have broken loose in the media if some IAS officer under Modi's government flaunts the Bhagwad Gita or Ramayana and says that will supercede IAS Officers Conduct and Rules Book.

All this because Modi had invited Obama with good intentions and may be ended up inviting trouble.

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ramarbhai remembers only a few things happen during the entire epic. Whatever it takes to criticize Modi is just acceptable. Laser sharp focus. I admire such skills!

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Hurat Honani Murat!