The Preamble, which contains two words, will not be of value if removed.

The Call for Removal of “Secular” and “Socialist” Words from India’s Constitution

• Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale supports the removal of “secular” and “socialist” words from the Preamble to the Constitution of India.

• The words were introduced through the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution during the Emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1976.

• The Janata Party government, which included RSS-affiliated leaders, reversed many of the Constitution’s changes during the Emergency.

• The Hindutva camp never opposed these concepts historically, but when a conflict over India’s national identity emerged in the 1970s, Indira Gandhi decided to make these amendments.

• The words “secularism” and “socialism” have attained meanings specific to the Indian context over the years.

• The debate on these words is not about pushing a divisive agenda without providing any ideological, legal, or practical reasoning.

• India’s challenge is not about the words, but its ongoing struggle to tackle discrimination, poverty, and underdevelopment, often influenced by caste and religious origins.