Keep 'secular', drop 'socialist'
But the Supreme Court of India has said these words are important and mean something special in the Indian context.
Let's start with 'secular'. This means the government should treat all religions equally. It should not favour one over another. India has many religions, castes, and languages, so this idea is very important. Our Constitution already supports this through rules like:
Article 15 , which says no one should be treated unfairly because of religion or caste
Article 25
, which says everyone is free to follow any religion
So 'secular' truly belongs in the Constitution.
Now about 'socialist'. This word is more complicated. It comes from a system where the government owns most businesses and land so that wealth is shared more equally. But today, India is a mix of capitalism (private business) and social justice (helping the poor and giving everyone a fair chance).
Our Constitution supports fairness, not full government control. In fact, a strong economy with private businesses and good welfare schemes (like free schools or health care) works better for India than old-style socialism.
Also, being secular helps make social justice happen. In a country with many religions and castes, only a fair, religion-neutral government can treat people equally.
So here's the simple answer:
Keep secular – because it's essential
Drop socialist – because it doesn't fit India's needs today
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
33 minutes ago
- The Hindu
RSS wants to create caste-based, religiously divided society, says Speaker Appavu
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh wants to uproot the words secularism, socialism and egalitarian society from Indian Constitution as the outfit aims to create an unequal, caste-based and religiously divided society with the 'upper caste' ruling the roost, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu has said. During an informal chat with reporters, Mr. Appavu, after inaugurating an urban health centre at Chidambara Nagar near Thatchanallur here on Thursday, said the RSS had never accepted the ideas of secularism, socialism and egalitarian society and always advocated for a caste-based and religiously divided society with the 'upper caste' at the top of the administration.. Hence, RSS leaders were repeatedly stressing that the words secularism and socialism be removed from the Indian Constitution. 'While the Indian Constitution vociferously supports secularism, socialism and egalitarian society, the RSS works overtime to uproot it from the Constitution as this outfit sees these high ideals as the stumbling block for achieving its dream of creating caste-based, unequal and religiously divided society. Hence the Union Government is travelling towards this direction to realise its masters' dream, which is not good for the country's integrity and prosperity. Having realised this wickedness, the people of Tamil Nadu will never accept these evil designs,' Mr. Appavu said. The Speaker also said the RSS and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were keen on the obliteration of English, the country's link language, by initially pushing forward Hindi and then replacing Hindi with Sanskrit later. 'It will also not be possible in Tamil Nadu.' Terming the recent custodial death in Sivaganga district as 'unpardonable', Mr. Appavu said the Chief Minister had ensured the registration of a case against five policemen and their arrest since the brutal incident was against law and the people. 'The Chief Minister even went on to apologise to the family of the deceased, which shows his respect for high values.' Asked about the information that Ajith was brutally thrashed on the instruction from an IAS officer, Mr. Appavu said: 'The probe is on to bring out the truth. If an IAS officer is found to be involved in this incident, the Chief Minister will not spare the officer also'. On the ongoing internal squabbles in the PMK, the Speaker said they (party founder S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss) would sort it out.
India.com
34 minutes ago
- India.com
Rafale vs J10C air battle: How Pakistan created a 'kill chain' with China's help using...; tension for US due to...
(File) Rafale vs J10C: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has repeatedly claimed to have shot down several Indian fighter jets, including the advanced 4.5 generation Rafale fighters, during the air battle on the night of May 7 when India launched Operation Sindoor following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. How Pakistan allegedly shot down India's Rafale fighter jets? According to new report published by the 'Study Times, a publication associated with the Communist Party of China (CCP), the PAF, with China's help, created a 'kill chain', which allowed a relatively 'inferior' fighter like the J10C to take down a heavyweight like Rafale. The strategy linked various components, including early warning aircraft, data link, ground radar, air defense system and the J10-CE fighter jets equipped with PL-15 missiles, along with guidance from Chinese satellites, to build what is called a 'kill chain'. All these systems worked in unison to take purportedly shoot down Indian Air Force fighter jets, including the Rafales, during the aerial battle on the night of May 7, it claimed. Pakistan has claimed to shot down several IAF fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, and while India has admitted that some of its planes were downed, the specific details, including the exact number have not been made public. What makes a 'kill chain' lethal for any fighter aircraft? As per the Study Times article, it was the first that China's 'kill chain' strategy was employed on an actual battlefield. The tactic allows even older fighter planes to successfully engage, even take down, more advanced warplanes, because the latter have a complete view of the battle scene using integrated systems, including AWACS, data link, ground radar, and air defense system. This integrated system gives little to no time to enemy fighter jets to react to an attack, because it is launched from beyond visual range (BVR), and the kill chain strategy masks the attack by jamming enemy systems, making it difficult to intercept incoming threats The Study Times article also mentions the 'Long Board Effect', which means that if a side has the most developed strength in a war, it alone can play a decisive role. For example, if Pakistan had a state-of-the-art air early warning system, it could have changed the direction of the entire battle. The article also emphasizes that silent and unexpected attacks will prove decisive in future wars. Why India doesn't have a 'kill chain' network? At the surface level, a kill chain essentially means data sharing between all three branches of the armed forces in such way that every activity of the enemy can be responded to in seconds. Several experts have expressed concerns that while the Indian Air Force is certainly more advanced than the PAF, with advanced platforms like Rafale, Su-30MKI and S-400, they lack an integrated kill chain network. Experts believe that India, despite being a stronger military power, lags behind in areas like networked warfare and cyber war, which allows a 'weaker' force like Pakistan to inflict significant damages. Why US should be concerned? The United States is the primary rival of China and Beijing's evolving military strength is major cause of concern for Western powers. US and European defense experts note that China is no longer just an arms supplier, but a war-strategist, inventing novel strategies like 'kill web/systemic warfare, which creates a coordinated, multi-domain operation network that spans air, land, cyber and space. US Space Force General Chance Saltzman warned that China has launched more than 470 spy and surveillance satellites that are part of its 'Sensor to Shooter Kill Web'. These satellites are capable of monitoring the activities of US joint forces and sharing real-time data, which could be crucial in a China-US conflict scenario, especially in a war over Taiwan. What lessons did China learn from the India-Pakistan war? According to Study Times, the biggest lesson China learned from the India-Pakistan war is that its 'systematic war' succeeded, making it a blueprint for any future wars. The article noted that war is no longer just a game of quality of weapons or individual military skills, but a war of 'system of systems'. which means if different weapon systems, such as early warning aircraft, data link, ground radar, air defense system and fighter aircraft work in an integrated manner, they can defeat even a technically superior opponent. During Operation Sindoor, the same strategy was purportedly adopted by Pakistan with the help of China, and succeeded in downing Indian Rafale fighter jets using the combination of Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets, PL-15 missiles and Chinese satellites.
The Hindu
34 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ministry plans sports conclave to bring together federations, sportspersons, and the corporate sector
The Union Sports Ministry has planned a two-day Sports Conclave to bring together the national federations, sportspersons, coaches and corporate sector, to discuss the way forward for Indian sports. Close on the heels of the vision document, approved as the National sports policy by the Union Cabinet, the government is expected to bring the Sports Bill, for better governance of sports. It will also open the avenue for sports tribunal, for speedy justice, and quick disposal of disputes. The judiciary will always be the last resort, and the sports tribunal, focused solely on sports matters, will attempt quick resolution. The government is also busy rephrasing the National Anti Doping Act after the previous proposal was rejected by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). Meanwhile, the Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviyaannounced that the Khelo India Water Sports Festival would be hosted at the Dal Lake in Srinagar, from August 21 to 23. Five sports, Kayaking and canoeing, rowing, water skiing, shikara race and dragon boat will feature in the festival, expected to attract about 400 athletes from across the country. 'Like the Khelo India Beach Games in Diu, we want Khelo India to become more inclusive and reach out to every corner of the country,' said the minister.
