Kathmandu: Dattatreya Hosabale, the General Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent body of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has called for an open debate on the inclusion of the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ in the preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Speaking at an event titled “50 Years of Emergency” held in Delhi on June 26, Hosabale remarked, “Both these words were not part of the original Constitution and were added during the Emergency without proper parliamentary consent.”
Hosabale emphasized that during the Emergency, neither the Parliament nor the judiciary was functioning freely, and such significant amendments were made during that period. He suggested that it is time to discuss whether these words should continue to remain in the preamble.
Historically, the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were inserted into the Constitution in 1976 through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, during the Emergency period declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. The Emergency lasted 21 months, until March 21, 1977. The BJP marks this day as ‘Constitution Kill Day’, alleging that democratic values were trampled upon during this time.
Without directly naming the Congress party or its leader Rahul Gandhi, Hosabale criticized the Emergency-era policies. “More than one lakh people were jailed, over 250 journalists were imprisoned, 6 million people were forcefully sterilized, and the independence of the judiciary was crushed,” he said. “Those whose ancestors were responsible for these acts must apologize,” he added.
The 42nd Amendment redefined India as a “Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.” Originally, the Constitution only referred to India as a “Sovereign Democratic Republic.”
The term ‘Socialist’ implies economic and social equality with fair distribution of resources, ensuring the rights of the poor and marginalized. ‘Secular’ denotes that the state will treat all religions equally and will not favor any particular faith.
On June 25, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet passed a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. A two-minute silence was observed to pay tribute to the victims of that period.
In a statement, PM Modi described the Emergency as “one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history,” emphasizing the need to protect the country’s democratic fabric and uphold the values cherished by India’s freedom fighters.
In response, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge held a press conference in Delhi, accusing the BJP of repeatedly raking up a 50-year-old issue. “Those who had no role in India’s freedom struggle and Constitution-making are now questioning it,” Kharge said.
He further alleged that the same forces had once burned copies of the Constitution and images of Ambedkar, Nehru, and Gandhi at Delhi’s Ram Lila Maidan, protesting that the original Constitution did not reflect India’s so-called ‘traditional culture’ and demanding elements of Manusmriti instead.
The political battle over the legacy of the Emergency and the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution continues to fuel ideological confrontations between the BJP-RSS combine and the opposition Congress party.
