&w=3840&q=100)
Himanta Biswa Sarma urges removal of 'secularism, socialism' from Preamble
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday launched a book titled 'The Emergency Diaries
Sarma said that this is the right time to remove the legacies of the Emergency, including the words secularism and socialism added to the Constitution.
He said these words were not part of the original Constitution and should be dropped, as secularism goes against the Indian idea of Sarva Dharma Sambhava, and socialism was never part of India's original economic vision.
Speaking to the reporters, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Today, we launched the book The Emergency Diary, which talks about the struggle and resistance during the Emergency. When we talk about the Emergency, this is the right moment to remove its remaining impact, just like Prime Minister Modi is working to erase the legacy of colonial rule. Two major outcomes of the Emergency were the addition of the words secularism and socialism to our Constitution. I believe secularism goes against the Indian idea of Sarva Dharma Sambhava. Socialism was also never truly our economic vision, our focus has always been on Sarvodaya Antyodaya."
"So, I request the Government of India to remove these two words, secularism and Socialism, from the Preamble, as they were not part of the original Constitution and were added later by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi," Sarma said.
'The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader' book published by BlueKraft is based on first-person anecdotes from associates who worked with young Narendra Modi, and using other archival material, the book is a first of its kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny.
According to the release, Emergency Diaries - paints a vivid picture of PM Modi fighting for the ideals of democracy and how he has worked all his life to preserve and promote it. "In the mid-1970s, as India was caught in the iron shackles of the Emergency, Narendra Modi, then a young pracharak of the RSS, found himself on the front lines of a covert resistance against the autocratic regime of Indira Gandhi.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Preamble Row Flares Up- After Tharoor's 'RSS Moved On' Bombshell, RJD Slams VP Dhankhar's Comments
/ Jun 29, 2025, 07:05PM IST The ongoing Preamble debate has intensified, with sharp political exchanges following remarks by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who said the Constitution's Preamble was altered during the Emergency to add "socialist" and "secular," calling preamble the 'seed' of the Constitution. RJD MP Manoj Jha hit back, asking if the issue is with the words or their inclusion. Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had responded to Rahul Gandhi's 'Manusmriti' tweet, noting historical RSS criticism of the Constitution but claimed the RSS has 'moved on.' The row was first triggered by RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned the additions during an Emergency anniversary event.#preambledebate #indianconstitution #jagdeepdhankhar #socialistsecular #emergency1975 #samvidhanhatyadiwas #manojjha #shashitharoor #rahulgandhi #dattatreyahosabale #constitutionofindia #basicstructuredoctrine #indiraGandhi #indianpolitics #democracy #secularism #socialism #india #constitutionalamendment #parliament #supremecourt #rss #congress #rjd #toi #toibharat
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
‘Bharat Mata' row: Kerala University Vice-Chancellor rejects Registrar's explanation of attempt to cancel event
The 'Bharat Mata' controversy continues to roil Kerala University with Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal rejecting Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar's explanation on his move to cancel a recent event attended by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the university's Senate Hall. The Registrar's response, based on a report by the university's Public Relations Officer, maintained that he attempted to cancel the booking of the hall since the organisers of the event had breached the terms and conditions of the agreement by displaying religious symbols, which is prohibited in Senate Hall. He reportedly added that the organisers, who had signed a contract that stipulated 26 conditions, proceeded to display the controversial portrait and arranged a ritual offering of flowers ('pushparchana') in violation of rules. 'Detailed explanation' Unconvinced by the Registrar's explanation, Prof. Kunnummal has instructed the official to provide a more detailed explanation regarding the incident, the nature of the complaint filed against the organisers, and why the event was allowed to continue despite the breach of contract. The Vice-Chancellor has also sought clarification on the specific symbols used during the event and whether they were in violation of the university's guidelines. He has also asked for the PRO's report. He also has issued directions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, and to strictly adhere to university protocols in future events. The Vice-Chancellor will soon submit a comprehensive report to the Governor, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university. Left members' response Meanwhile, the Left-backed Syndicate members reiterated that unlawful activities will not be permitted on the university premises. 'The alleged attempt by the organisers to display RSS-linked symbols in the Senate Hall during the programme organised to mark the anniversary of the Emergency is highly objectionable. Such inappropriate actions led to tension and unrest on the campus,' they said.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Want to contest Assembly polls for the sake of Bihar: Chirag Paswan
Rajgir (Bihar): Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday asserted that he wanted to contest the upcoming assembly polls "for the sake of Bihar," unfazed by what he called "jittery" detractors trying to put hurdles in the way. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president addressed a rally titled 'Bahujan Bhim Sankalp Samagam' at Rajgir, in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home district of Nalanda. The Hajipur MP urged the people to be on guard against the "false narrative" of the opposition INDIA bloc, which had "alleged during the Lok Sabha polls last year that the Constitution will be under threat if Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a third consecutive term". "They are trying to play the same trick again in the run up to assembly polls. But you must remember that the worst attack on Constitution came during the Emergency when the Congress was in power and countless young men, mostly Dalits, minorities and OBCs, had been forcibly sterilised", alleged Paswan. He added, "Today the Congress and its allies are busy trying to present themselves as the champions of minorities by attending a rally in Patna where they are opposing the Waqf Act which had been brought for the benefit of poor Muslims. They should be asked about the Turkman gate massacre". Live Events Launching a frontal attack on RJD's Tejashwi Yadav for "allying with the Congress just for the sake of power", the Union minister challenged him to "seek an apology from Rahul Gandhi for excesses during the Emergency, the sufferers of which include his own father (RJD president Lalu Prasad)". Mocking Gandhi for carrying "a red copy of the Constitution", Paswan charged the Congress with having ignored, while in power, the contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar . "It was the government of VP Singh, supported by the BJP, in which my idol and father late Ram Vilas Paswan a minister, that Bharat Ratna was given to Babasaheb, his picture was installed in Parliament and the report of Mandal Commission, put by the Congress in cold storage, was implemented", he pointed out. "The opposition keeps raising the false alarm that reservation will be scrapped. Let me give you the guarantee that this is not going to happen, as long as Chirag Paswan is alive", he added. The LJP(RV) president said that his interest in politics of the state was symbolic of "people returning to their home after having been forced to flee because of the lawlessness that prevailed under RJD rule ". "Many people are jittery that I want to come to Bihar. They are trying to know whether I will be contesting elections here. I wish to tell them, I want to contest assembly polls for the sake of Bihar. So that my dream of Bihar First, Bihari First is realised", said Paswan. He added, "Hurdles are being put in my way. But I am not going to dissuaded. Earlier attempts to break me by causing a split in my party and a rift in my family have failed to dishearten me. I urge my party cadre to fan out across all 243 assembly constituencies and fight for the victory of NDA, with the intensity as if Chirag Paswan were himself in the fray. You give me NDA's victory in assembly polls. I will give you a developed Bihar".
