Latest news with #Organiser
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Organiser: Go back to original Preamble sans 'socialist' and 'secular'
File photo: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (PTI) NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for a review on the continuation of "socialist" and "secular" in the Constitution's Preamble - words added during the Emergency, Sangh-inspired weekly 'Organiser' dubbed the terms "ideological landmines" designed to "subvert dharmic values" and "serve political appeasement", stressing it's time to "undo" them and reclaim the original Constitution. Terming the insertion of the two words into the Preamble an "act of constitutional fraud", an article in the magazine's latest edition said these terms were not mere "cosmetic additions" but "ideological imposition" that contradicts the very spirit of "Bharat's civilisational identity and constitutional democracy". "Let us be clear: No Constituent Assembly ever approved these words. The 42nd Amendment was passed during Emergency when Parliament functioned under duress, with opposition leaders in jail and the media gagged," Dr Niranjan B Poojar said in the opinion piece, titled 'Revisiting Socialist and Secular in the Preamble: Reclaiming India's Constitutional Integrity'. It was an "act of constitutional fraud", akin to forging someone's will when they are unconscious, it said. "Bharat must revert to the original Preamble, as envisioned by the founding fathers... Let us undo Emergency's constitutional sin and reclaim the Preamble for the people of Bharat," the article said. Noting that a "constitutional clean up" is due, the article said removing 'socialist' and 'secular' is not about ideology but restoring "constitutional honesty, reclaiming national dignity and ending political hypocrisy". "We are not a socialist country. We are not a secular-atheist state. We are a dharmic civilization rooted in pluralism, swaraj and spiritual autonomy. Let us have the courage to say so in our Constitution," it said. The article said after insertion of the term 'secular' into the Preamble, the "Indian version" of secularism lost neutrality and it became a "smokescreen for state-sponsored discrimination against Hindus in the name of minority rights".
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
CPM too opposed changes to Preamble during Emergency, now blaming RSS: Sangh-linked magazine
After RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's recent remarks questioning the inclusion of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Constitution's Preamble sparked a row, RSS-affiliated magazine Organiser has carried a cover story on the topic. Its focus: CPI(M)'s opposition to the Emergency-era 42nd Amendment that led to the addition of the words to the Preamble. The magazine has also published a sharply worded editorial accusing the Congress and the Left of distorting the legacy of the Emergency and turning the RSS into a political scapegoat. While critics, particularly from the Left and the Congress, labelled Hosabale's remarks an ideological attack on the Constitution, Organiser's cover story by Ganesh Radhakrishnan in its latest issue sought to highlight what it called the CPI(M)'s 'original position' on the matter, one that it claimed closely mirrored the RSS's stand. Citing a 1976 pamphlet the CPI(M) published during the Emergency, the article said the party had explicitly criticised the addition of 'socialist' and 'secular', viewing them as a political manoeuvre by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to centralise power. The pamphlet, later republished in Malayalam by Chintha Publishers in 2005, warned that the amendment was part of a broader strategy to turn the Constitution into an instrument of one-party rule under Gandhi. The CPI(M)'s alternative proposal of 26 amendments at the time made no mention of 'socialist' or 'secular' either, the Organiser article claimed. According to the article, in a preface to the republished volume, senior CPI(M) leader P Govinda Pillai had opposed the amendments tooth and nail. 'Indira Gandhi wanted to portray that the declaration of Emergency and the constitutional amendments were not an expression of fascist tendencies, but rather, an effort to defeat fascist forces and implement democracy and socialism … These changes were not based on democratic consensus but on political expediency,' Pillai is quoted as saying. The article said Hosabale's recent statements had 'not deviated from its original position even today'. 'The onus now falls upon the CPM to clarify whether its stance has changed,' Radhakrishnan wrote. It also quoted CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby's remarks following Hosabale's statement to make its point. 'RSS's demand to remove socialism and secularism from the Constitution's Preamble is a direct assault on India's core values. RSS always pushed Manusmriti over our Constitution,' Baby said. Building on this, Organiser editor Prafulla Ketkar, in his editorial, accused the Congress and Left of historical revisionism. 'This year marks the fifty years of the dark days of the Emergency… Instead of recognising the personal dictatorial ambitions of Ms Indira Gandhi as the root cause of the Emergency, an attempt is being made to divert the blame to a selfless leader like JP (Jayaprakash Narayan) and a nationalist organisation like RSS,' Ketkar wrote. 'When RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale spoke about how 'secularism' and 'socialism' were inserted into the Constitution during the Emergency, he was exposing this hypocrisy. Dr Ambedkar was unmistakable when he called out Communists as the enemies of the Constitution while dedicating the final draft to the nation in 1949. Various outfits with allegiance to communism have openly called the Constitution 'bourgeoisie', and most of them vowed to overthrow it someday,' he added. Ketkar accused the Congress of repeatedly trying to undermine constitutional democracy, citing Nehru's First Amendment and the UPA's proposed Communal Violence Bill, and dismissed the CPI(M)'s claims of ideological consistency. While the CPI(M) has yet to officially respond to the Organiser article, the party has maintained in the past that it opposed the Emergency and the way the constitutional changes were carried out, but supports the substantive values of socialism and secularism. The Congress has also repeatedly defended the incorporation of these principles as essential to India's democratic and plural ethos. In his address at a recent event in Delhi at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, Hosabale said: 'During the Emergency, two words, 'secular' and 'socialist', were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble. There was no Parliament, no rights, no judiciary functioning, and yet these words were added. That is why this matter must be discussed.'
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Maratha War of Independence': New book chronicles forgotten struggle against Mughal rule
On June 26, 2025, Union Minister Shri launched 'Maratha War of Independence', a new book authored by researcher and writer Abhas Verma, at a special ceremony held in New Delhi. The book explores a critical yet underrepresented chapter of Indian history—focusing on the Marathas' resistance against the Mughal Empire following the execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The book reconstructs this forgotten period through the lens of military resilience, administrative continuity, and cultural assertion, marking it as the first organised war of independence in India. Speaking at the event, Shri Nitin Gadkari said 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a visionary who laid the foundation of Hindavi Swarajya—a model of governance rooted in justice, equality, and cultural pride. He was secular in the truest sense, treating all religions with respect and never committing injustice against anyone. Unfortunately, British historians, through selective documentation and diary-writing, distorted our history. Today, the real challenge is not a clash of ideas, but the absence of them. It is our responsibility to present the true, fact-based history to the new generation to build a strong and self-aware India.' The event featured prominent guests including author and historian Shri Uday Mahurkar, Editor of Organiser weekly Shri Prafulla Ketkar, Garuda Prakashan founder Shri Sankrant Sanu, and author Abhas Verma. Renowned scholar Padma Shri Prof. Bharat Gupt also graced the event with his presence. Shri Uday Mahurkar said: 'The reason why this war qualifies to be regarded as Bharat's first war of independence is the fact that it started the process of the final disintegration of the Mughal empire with Aurangzeb's death in 1707 & laid the foundation of Maratha empire in which Marathas controlled the Mughal throne in Delhi for almost 50 years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The book brings alive two of India's greatest warriors in 1,000 years - Santaji Ghorpade & Dhanaji Jadhav - who pulverised the Mughals with their skill & valour & terrorised Aurangzeb himself but whose names are not known to today's India. Also, author Abhas Varma has done an excellent job of presenting before the nation a bright but unknown chapter of Bharat's history which lay buried in Maharashtra for nearly 3 centuries. ' Sankrant Sanu, Founder of Garuda Prakashan stated 'Garuda Prakashan was founded to give a platform to Indic voices to tell our own stories. From veteran authors to new stars Garuda has featured a range of voices and bestsellers like 'Urban Naxals' by Vivek Agnihotri and 'All Religions Are Not the Same" by Sanjay Dixit.' Abhas Verma's book brings a fresh retelling of an important chapter of India's history.' The book offers a definitive account of the Maratha resistance between 1689 and 1707. It traces Rajaram Bhonsle's escape to Jinji, the defense of the fort, and the guerrilla campaigns led by Santaji and Dhanaji. It also highlights administrative strategies, civil leadership, and the contributions of local groups such as the Nayaks and Berads. Drawing from historical texts, Mughal court newsletters, and regional records, the book presents key events such as the battles of Dodderi (1696) and Wagingera (1706–07), the internal decline of the Mughal empire, and the cultural revival under Tara Bai's leadership. It positions the Maratha movement not as a regional pushback, but as the first sustained and strategic Indian resistance against foreign domination—a precursor to later freedom movements.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Preamble of Constitution ‘not changeable' but was changed during Emergency, claims V-P Dhankhar
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday (June 28, 2025) asserted that the Preamble of a Constitution is "not changeable" as it is the "seed" on which the document grows. He said the preamble of no other Constitution has undergone change except that of India. "But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976," he said noting that the words "socialist", "secular", and "integrity" were added. "We must reflect," he said adding that B.R. Ambedkar did painstaking work on the Constitution and he must have "surely focused on it". RSS calls for review His remarks at a book launch event here came after the RSS on Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar. The Congress and other opposition parties have slammed RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for a national debate on whether the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' should remain in the Preamble, terming it "political opportunism" and a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution. As Mr. Hosabale's strong pitch for a review of the two words inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency days (1975-77) kicked up a political row, an article published in an RSS-linked magazine Organiser said it is not about dismantling the Constitution but about restoring its "original spirit", free from the "distortions" of the Congress' Emergency-era policies. Union Minister Jitendra Singh sought to defend the call by the second senior-most functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Preamble 'not changeable', but was 'changed' in 1976 during Emergency, says Jagdeep Dhankhar
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday asserted that the Preamble of a constitution is "not changeable" as it is the "seed" on which the document grows. He said the preamble of no other constitution has undergone change except that of India. "But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976," he said noting that the words "socialist", "secular", and "integrity" were added. "We must reflect," he said adding that B R Ambedkar did painstaking work on the Constitution and he must have "surely focussed on it". His remarks at a book launch event here came after the RSS on Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution , saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar. Live Events The Congress and other opposition parties have slammed RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for a national debate on whether the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' should remain in the Preamble, terming it "political opportunism" and a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution. As Hosabale's strong pitch for a review of the two words inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency days (1975-77) kicked up a political row, an article published in an RSS-linked magazine Organiser said it is not about dismantling the Constitution but about restoring its "original spirit", free from the "distortions" of the Congress' Emergency-era policies. Union minister Jitendra Singh and senior BJP leader sought to defend the call by the second senior most functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), saying any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr B R Ambedkar.
