The first among the many in The Constitution (Forty Second Amendment) Act 1976 says:
- for the words “SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC” the words “SOVEREIGN
SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC” shall be substituted
The process by which the amendment took place was wholly unconstitutional and illegal but it is too late in the day to go into that. It would be useful for those who were either not born or too young to read how and under what circumstances the amendment bill was passed in the parliament.
Four decades and four years later, after flogging the word Secular to death, it has dawned on some people that the returns on that are tending towards zero. So one of the flagbearers of secularism has come up with a brilliant idea. Let’s call it Plural instead.
So, if she had the power, The Constitution (105th Amendment) Act 2020, would amend the preamble as-
for the words “SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC” the words “SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST PLURAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC” shall be substituted-,
and bingo, all problems solved!
The Congress Party uses the interesting tactic of “distancing themselves” from any uncomfortable statements made by one of their ilk. This goes a step beyond the diplomatic statement ‘we neither confirm nor deny’
It is interesting to see the journalists who were a part of the Secular Caravan now distancing themselves from the Congress Party and their brand of pseudo secularism.
These are the same people who, by their proximity to the Congress Party, found their foothold, rose to fame, made their money, enjoyed their perks ranging from 2BHKs to Farmhouses, on board champagne while flying with the PM to being able to interfere in the selection of cabinet portfolios etc. The fact that they are all now jumping the ship is proof enough that the ship is sinking, if not already sunk.
Let’s remind ourselves what these ‘Seculars’ did and said over the last few years to prove their Secularism.
Sagarika Ghose and Barkha Dutt tweeted/replied mocking the Hindu ritual of Karwa Chauth. They do it every year. I am sure it will be very reassuring for the Hindus to know that their mocking is due to ‘Pluralism’ and not Secularism.
A true liberal celebrates when women in Iran defy the norms and do what is prohibited for them like doing away with hijab, driving etc. But we have our very own Barkha who found fault with Chess Grandmaster Soumya Swaminathan who pulled out of a tournament in Iran over the country’s headscarf rule. Instead of applauding her, ‘she should have followed the norms of the land’ was all she had to say. Not applicable to her when she mocks the festival of Raksha Bandhan which she did ten days ago.
This kind of Anti Hindu bias was earlier called Secular. It is now proposed to be called Plural. It only shows the singular lack of understanding of the issue by these seculars.
Give it what name you will. A bias is a bias is a bias.
