New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale Thursday called for a review of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ inserted into the Preamble to the Constitution by way of the 42nd Amendment, saying they were added during the Emergency and were not part of the original text drafted by B.R. Ambedkar.
He also said the Congress must apologise for the Emergency and excesses committed under the Indira Gandhi government, calling it a period when citizens’ rights were crushed and institutions weakened.
This year marks 50 years since then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a nationwide Emergency on 25 June, 1975, citing internal disturbances. The Emergency, which lasted for about 21 months, saw the suspension of civil liberties, censorship of the press, arrests of political opponents under MISA, and sweeping powers handed to the executive.
Speaking at an event to mark the anniversary in New Delhi, Hosabale said insertion of the two words into the Preamble needs to be revisited. “Freedom of judiciary was also curtailed … but one more thing, during the Emergency, two words were added to the Preamble to India’s Constitution. We all know: secularism and socialism. These were not in the Preamble earlier. They were added later. The Preamble is meant to be eternal.”
“So, from the perspective of ideology, should socialism be considered eternal for India?” he asked.
“The word secularism was not originally in the Indian Constitution. It was added to the Preamble. Yes, the ideas of secularism may have existed, they may have been part of governance and state policy, that’s a different matter. But should these two words remain in the Preamble? This is something that deserves reflection,” Hosabale said.
Adding, “Because I know, and I’m saying this while standing in the building named after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, that these words were not included by him.”
He went on to say, “When you discuss the Constitution, it is not just about Babasaheb Ambedkar. There are also aspects that were not part of what Ambedkar had framed.”
Hosabale emphasised that the changes were made at a time when democratic institutions were severely weakened. “… when citizens’ rights were suspended, when Parliament was ineffective, when the judiciary was crippled, at that time, this was inserted.”
Adding, “That is why, I believe, many such matters still need to be reviewed even today.”
He also said the Congress must apologise for the Emergency. “They have not apologised to the people of the country till today. They haven’t sought forgiveness. One lakh people were jailed, 60 lakh forcibly sterilised, 250 journalists were sent to jail, the judiciary was crippled but still, no apology was made. They will have to apologise to the nation. If your ancestors committed the mistake, then apologise in their name. What’s the issue with that?”
“Those who did such things are today moving around with the Constitution’s copy. They have still not apologised … Apologise,” he said. “Your ancestors did it… You must apologise for this to the country.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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“Bharata, that is Bharatvarsha, shall be a Dharmic Rajya.”
Mr. Hosabale is right based on his point of view. But asking present day Congress to apologise for the mistakes of their ancestors is a little rich, given that Congress has repeatedly regretted the excesses and the imposition of emergency.
He may also want to reflect on the fact that there are many reports of ‘puran polis’ (a Maharashtrian delicacy) being prepared in several RSS shakhas and in several Sangh familities when it was announced that Mahatam Gandhi had been assasinated.
The Sangh has bee preaching majoritariansim since its formation and today they have support from the centre. Nothing else is expected of them but to dismatle pluraistic way of life. This is the same playbook employed by Sri Lanka, Pakistan in the 70s and 80s, Malayasia and Israel. It did not to much good to any of these nations.