Sovereign, Capitalist, Hindu, Undemocratic Republic

By abhay mokashi

It is time that with its majority in the parliament and its governments behaviour in the House and outside, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should amend the Preamble of our Constitution to read:

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to reconstitute India into a SOVEREIGN CAPITALIST, HINDU, UNDEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

INJUSTICE, social, economic and political; ENSLAVEMENT of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

INEQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the degradation of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR PARLIAMENT (APPROPRIATE DATE TO BE INSERTED) HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

The amendment is a mere formality now, given the situation in the country on all fronts. The Narendra Modi led-government cannot ever be said to have worked on the socialist framework. In fact, it has always taken a pro-capitalist stance, promoting private enterprise, with its disinvestment policy.

Today’s announcement of the National Monetisation Pipeline by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a major step towards capitalism. The decision to raise Rs 6 lakh crore by leasing out national assets like highways, railways and airports, among other assets is another proof of that. Though the Finance Minister claimed that the ownership of these assets will remain with the government, it is clear that the investors would come with a clear intention of making profits. As a result, the tolls, rail and air fares are bound to go up, as the investors would be coming only with the intention to make huge profits and not to be a part of the social welfare State.

India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a great foresight in adopting a socialistic structure and in starting major industries in the public sector or in the nationalisation of Air India and other smaller airlines.

So also, among other things, the nationalisation of banks by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the amendment to the Preamble to include the words socialist, secular was also with a great foresight for the betterment of the people of the country and to assure then that religious fanatism of any kind cannot take over this country.

Politicians with small minds and limited intellectual capacity will not be able to understand the policies of statespersons like Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

The Union government has on numerous occasions proved that it is a government that does not stand for secularism and it believes in establishing a Hindu Rashtra, as sought by its ideological parent organisation the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Ministers of BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the states have made speeches fanning communal hatred towards Muslims or have made statements appealing to incite violence against them.

The party has a history of saying Mandir Vahien Banainge [shall construct the (Ram) temple at the same spot (where Babri Mosque stood)], the result was that the mosque was pulled down. There are regular reports of attacks on non-Hindus, by elements who believe in the Hindu Rashtra.

The BJP, with the great support of a large section of the print and electronic media, blamed the opposition political parties for the disruption of the proceedings in the Parliament, especially during the just concluded sessions of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, realising fully well that the masses do not know that it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that the Parliament functions properly. To add to it the passing of several Bills in the Parliament, without discussion proves that the BJP has scant respect for democracy, not to speak of how the party has come to power in several states, by making legislators “cross the floor” to support it, when it did not have the strength to form a government.

The number of sedition cases filed in the country, the detention of extremely ill and aged political and social activists, arrests of journalists, control of the media are great examples of the undemocratic nature of the government.

Ignoring of the farmers’ agitation, the increase in the number of unemployed in the country, the situation of the Dalit, the tribals and other marginalised sections of the society and the atrocities against women are enough to prove that there is no social justice in the country.

A party which used Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s name in an attempt to win votes in West Bengal Assembly elections, does not and will not understand what Tagore meant when he wrote the poem Where the Mind is Without Fear. Thus, the party and the government do not allow freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, rather it believes in their enslavement.

There is tremendous inequalities of status and opportunities among the urban and the rural; the upper castes and the lower castes; and the rich and the poor. The number of people going down the economic ladder is increasing day after day. All this has led to the degradation of the individual.

In the light of all this, it would be appropriate for the BJP to amend the Preamble of the Constitution, anyway, the supporters are blindly with the BJP and those who are concerned for the betterment of the nation as dreamt by our Freedom Fighters have lost their voice.