Shillong, June 29: Former MDC from the Balachanda constituency in GHADC, Sofior Rahman, has condemned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent remarks suggesting the removal of the terms ‘secularism’ and ‘socialism’ from the Indian Constitution. He called Sarma’s statement “factually misleading, constitutionally unsound, and politically provocative”.
Sarma reportedly referred to these terms as ‘Western concepts’ inserted during the Emergency period under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
In a press statement, while Rahman acknowledged that ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ were formally inserted into the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976, he stated that their spirit has always been present within the Constitution. This spirit is enshrined through provisions such as Article 14 (Equality before law) and Articles 25-28 (Freedom of religion), as well as the Directive Principles which advocate for social and economic justice.
He also highlighted that the Supreme Court of India has consistently ruled, notably in the S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) case, that Secularism forms a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution, rendering it immune to removal or amendment by Parliament.
He further refuted the notion of Indian secularism being a ‘Western import’, asserting its deep roots in India’s “centuries-old values of tolerance, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence—from Ashoka to Akbar to Gandhi”.
Responding to Chief Minister Sarma’s reported declaration, “How can I be secular? I am a hardcore Hindu,” Rahman asserted that such a statement reflects a “flawed understanding of Indian secularism”. He clarified that “a person can follow any faith and still support a secular State” and that “Indian secularism ensures that the State has no religion and treats all citizens equally, regardless of faith.”
He further affirmed that “India is, by constitutional design, a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic” adding that “Secularism and socialism are not alien—they are pillars of Indian democracy that safeguard inclusion, equality, and justice.”
He also stated that “Any demand to remove these words from the Preamble is not only legally untenable, but also morally irresponsible.”
Additionally, he reminded that “Politicians who take oath on the Constitution should uphold its values, not question or dismantle them for ideological convenience.”
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