Preamble Row Explained: Why 'Secular' And 'Socialist' Were Added & What The Supreme Court Says
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Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
BJP set to get a new state unit chief in Samik Bhattacharya
With the crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal less than a year away, the BJP is all set to appoint a new state president as it gets going on setting its house in order. Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, the only leader to have filed the nomination on Wednesday, is all set to take over the reins of the party from Union Minister and incumbent Sukanta Majumdar. Sources in the BJP, which is in the process of appointing new state presidents across the country, said Bhattacharya's main challenge will be to put an end to factionalism in the state unit before the elections. The central leadership believes the MP will be an acceptable option to the different factions in the state unit. 'The party always prefers grassroots leaders and Bhattacharya is the perfect choice, especially ahead of the Assembly polls. All district-level leaders have known him for years and find it easy to communicate with him,' a senior leader said. The leader went on to add that Bhattacharya's nature of not revolting against the state and central leadership, good relations with all factions of the party, and proximity to RSS leaders tipped the scales in his favour. 'He never makes personal attacks on leaders. The BJP will fight the 2026 polls unitedly under his leadership,' the leader said. Bhattacharya, 61, who has over four decades of political experience, started his career in 1971 with the RSS in Howrah and subsequently moved to the BJP. He steadily rose through the ranks and gradually emerged as one of the party's most popular faces in the state in the 1990s because of his strong oratory skills. He served in several positions such as the general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's South Howrah mandal and general secretary of Howrah district. He was later elevated to the post of state general secretary of the BJP's youth wing, a post he held for 11 years. Bhattacharya also served as the general secretary of the Bengal BJP for three terms. In 2014, he won the Basirhat Dakshin Assembly bypoll and was a legislator for just over a year. Last year, he was sent to the Upper House. 'He is such a good orator that Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Surjya Kanta Mishra of the CPI(M) gave him time from his quota in the Assembly, as Bhattacharya was the lone BJP MLA (2014 to 2016) and was not allotted more than five minutes. He loves poetry and frequently quotes eminent poets such as Shankha Ghosh and Shakti Chattopadhyay, who is his favourite,' said a senior CPI(M) leader. In 2017, the state CID summoned Bhattacharya in connection with its probe into an alleged scam in the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Targeting the BJP, Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, 'There is a constant fight between the camps led by Majumdar, LoP Suvendu Adhikari and former MP Dilip Ghosh. The BJP thinks Bhattacharya's appointment will solve the issue, but in reality, all three factions will disturb him. It will be tough for him to keep the BJP united. Even though I do not support his ideology, I am aware of his decent behaviour.' Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Secular, not socialist
Why one word inserted by Mrs G in Constitution's Preamble should be kept, the other dropped RSS and the vice president are among those who have recently batted for deleting 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Constitution. Their arguments echo those made earlier – that Indira Gandhi inserted these adjectives during Emergency in 1976, and that such descriptors were not considered necessary by the constituent assembly. The Supreme Court has maintained both terms have distinct Indian contexts; that they capture the spirit of the Constitution, are part of basic structure doctrine, and cannot be equated with Western ideological positions. Let's consider 'secular'. As SC correctly observed many times, secularism is integral and intertwined in all aspects of the Constitution. From right to equality and fraternity, all fundamental rights clearly indicate that secularism is a core feature. In the Indian context, secularism, envisioned as equality of all religions, castes and creeds, is evident in Articles 15 (equality) and 25 (freedom of religion). 'Socialist' is a different kettle of fish. SC has held that the idea of socialism can be upheld as part of basic structure since it also stands for equality of opportunity and fair distribution of the nation's wealth; that such philosophy is reflected in various articles of the Constitution. But that's stretching the definition of socialism. It conflates socialism, which is to do with ownership of means of production, with social justice, which is about everyone getting a fair shot at life. The Constitution certainly has social justice as part of its basic structure doctrine. But not socialism. In fact, a robust capitalist system with good welfare provisions is the best guarantee for social justice. Social justice is best served by a rights-based approach that's worked into an economic policy that encourages free enterprise. India's problem right now is that since structural reforms aren't happening, economic opportunities are not expanding, making welfare spends bigger. Socialism is irrelevant here. The other point is that secularism is key to social justice. Given caste hierarchy and religious diversity, a secular state is a must for delivering social justice. So, drop 'socialist', keep 'secular'. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Keep 'secular', drop 'socialist'
Some people, including big leaders, are saying that two words – 'secular' and 'socialist' – should be removed from the beginning (called the Preamble) of India's Constitution. They say these words were added in 1976 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during a time when people's rights were heavily controlled – called the Emergency. 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.
