Constitution and secularism
9 years, 2 months ago

Constitution and secularism

The Hindu  

UNION Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on November 26 during the Lok Sabha debate on “commitment to the Constitution” and Dr B.R. He argued that Ambedkar had never thought of putting the term in the Constitution “but the word ‘socialist’ and ‘secularism’ were incorporated in the Preamble through the 42nd Amendment. The Supreme Court has also held that secularism is part of the unamendable “basic structure” of the Constitution. The Supreme Court put the imprimatur of its approval of “secularism” as part of the unamendable “basic structure” of the Constitution when it heard a batch of petitions on the imposition of President’s Rule in the States.

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History of this topic

Deletion of ‘secular’, ‘socialist’ a bad mistake, says Former CM Naveen Patnaik
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Deletion of ‘secular’, ‘socialist’ a bad mistake, says Former CM Naveen Patnaik

New Indian Express  

BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said the BJP government made a ‘bad mistake’ by deleting two key words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble of the Constitution which was displayed in the Assembly on the occasion of the 75th Constitution day on Tuesday. Naveen said the two words should be part of the Preamble of Constitution of …

Preamble's Original Tenets Reflect Secular Ethos; Secularism Part Of Constitution's Basic Structure : Supreme Court
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Preamble's Original Tenets Reflect Secular Ethos; Secularism Part Of Constitution's Basic Structure : Supreme Court

Live Law  

The Supreme Court today, while dismissing the challenge to the insertion of the terms 'Secular' and 'Socialist' in the Preamble, observed that the Constitution's Preamble in its original form also reflected secular ethos even before the passing of the 42nd Amendment in 1976 which inserted these words. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar …

Supreme Court Rules on Secularism: A Core Part of the Constitution
Trending News
5 months ago

Supreme Court Rules on Secularism: A Core Part of the Constitution

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court has declared that secularism is an indelible and core part of the Constitution. The court made this observation while hearing a batch of petitions filed by former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy and others challenging the inclusion of words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution.

SC Rejects the Inclusion of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' in the Indian Constitution
5 months ago

SC Rejects the Inclusion of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' in the Indian Constitution

Deccan Chronicle  

The Supreme Court has ruled that the words 'socialist' and 'secular' cannot be included in the Indian Constitution. The court held that the Preamble to the Indian Constitution is a declaration made in 1949 and that the date of adoption is an important part of its interpretation. The court also noted that the Preamble is a living document and that …

SC's Ruling on Preamble: Secularism a Cornerstone of Constitution
Top News
5 months ago

SC's Ruling on Preamble: Secularism a Cornerstone of Constitution

News 18  

The Supreme Court has ruled that secularism is an essential part of the Indian Constitution. The court held that the words 'socialist' and 'secular' were part of the original Preamble and that their inclusion was consistent with the Constitution's basic structure. The court also noted that the Preamble was adopted in 1949, and that any changes to the Preamble after …

SC Rejects Insertion of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' in the Indian Constitution
5 months ago

SC Rejects Insertion of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' in the Indian Constitution

New Indian Express  

The Supreme Court has ruled that the terms 'socialist' and 'secular' are not part of the Indian Constitution's basic structure. The court stated that secularism has always been considered an integral part of the Constitution and that these words were inserted into the Preamble by the Indira Gandhi government in 1976 to reflect the country's changing demographics and political landscape.

Supreme Court Rejects the Removal of 'Secular' and 'Socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution
Trending News
5 months ago

Supreme Court Rejects the Removal of 'Secular' and 'Socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution

India Today  

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that secularism has long been regarded as an integral part of the Constitution's basic structure. The court heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the removal of the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution. The court said that the term 'socialism' should not necessarily be interpreted in the western context and …

Supreme Court postpones hearing on removal of 'Secular' and 'Socialist' from Preamble to October 21
7 months, 1 week ago

Supreme Court postpones hearing on removal of 'Secular' and 'Socialist' from Preamble to October 21

India TV News  

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on the demand to remove the words 'Secular' and 'Socialist' from the Preamble of the Constitution to October 21. The petition challenged the legality of adding the words 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976, arguing that including these words exceeds the Parliament's power to amend the …

Strengthen secularism, save the republic
2 years, 11 months ago

Strengthen secularism, save the republic

The Hindu  

The High Court of Karnataka has not been able to settle the hijab issue. Another crucial factor which makes a theocratic state impossible in India is the complex, inegalitarian, hierarchical and oppressive social structure of the majority religion. A theocratic state functions on the basis of religious laws, which in India means the Dharma Shastras according to which only a …

God Does Not Recognize Any Community, Temple Shall Not Be A Place For Perpetuating Communal Separation Leading To Discrimination: Madras HC
4 years, 1 month ago

God Does Not Recognize Any Community, Temple Shall Not Be A Place For Perpetuating Communal Separation Leading To Discrimination: Madras HC

Live Law  

While observing that classification among men has got no place in the abode of God, the Madras High Court last week remarked that it was "very unfortunate" that there was a difference of opinion over the conduct of a temple festival in the Tiruchi district. Significantly, the Court also remarked "We are constrained to note that a Temple shall not …

Constitution Day: Why the Indian Constitution guarantees secularism, and what it implies
4 years, 3 months ago

Constitution Day: Why the Indian Constitution guarantees secularism, and what it implies

Firstpost  

IIT-B students Pramod Mandade and Samarth Bhagwat discuss secularism in part 4 of IIT Bombay for Justice’s #PreambleLectures series Editor’s Note: The following was originally published on 10 February. It is being republished on the occasion of India’s Constitution Day — the day in 1949 on which the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution of India. “We, the People of India, …

The unique goals and challenges of Indian secularism
5 years, 1 month ago

The unique goals and challenges of Indian secularism

Hindustan Times  

Dr Jaime Torres Bodet Director General of UNESCO Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad arriving at Parliament House for the session of the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO. Most commonly, “Indian secularism” is understood to mean something like the equal treatment of all religions. However, virtually all commentators agree that India is secular—which seems unarguable given the word’s …

Secularism is a western concept, India must reconsider its inclusion in preamble: RSS ideologue
5 years, 2 months ago

Secularism is a western concept, India must reconsider its inclusion in preamble: RSS ideologue

India TV News  

"Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" is how India is referred to in the preamble of the Constitution. However, J. Nandakumar, a key RSS leader and All India Convenor Prajna Pravah, a Sangh offshoot, wants India to reconsider the inclusion of the word "secular", claiming secularism is a "western, Semitic concept". He argued that India does not need a secular ethos …

CAA, NRC, Article 370 protests have called into question idea of India's secularism; answers lie beyond the Constitution
5 years, 3 months ago

CAA, NRC, Article 370 protests have called into question idea of India's secularism; answers lie beyond the Constitution

Firstpost  

Saying India is secular because the Constitution says so is an appeal to authority. The people of India deserve the dignity of an argument for secularism When the government abrogated Article 370 this year, there was a lot of conversation around the fact that the people of Jammu and Kashmir should only join India with their consent. The re-election of …

‘India is Secular despite Hindus,’ Aakar Patel claims in Congress mouthpiece National Herald but is India really secular?
5 years, 10 months ago

‘India is Secular despite Hindus,’ Aakar Patel claims in Congress mouthpiece National Herald but is India really secular?

Op India  

In an article for the National Herald, Congress party’s mouthpiece, Executive Director of Amnesty International India, Aakar Patel, makes a rather bold assertion. If all of this wasn’t enough, we have the Hindu Charitable and Religious Endowments Act which grants the ‘secular’ government of India the right to administer and control Hindu Temples. However, it’s only Hindu Temples that the …

Remove 'secular' from Constitution as it puts Hindus at disadvantage, says Sanatan Sanstha
6 years, 6 months ago

Remove 'secular' from Constitution as it puts Hindus at disadvantage, says Sanatan Sanstha

Firstpost  

Although the Sanatan Sanstha claims to be a spiritual organisaton, it is currently facing massive criticism for being allegedly linked to terror activities. Amid a debate over banning Sanatan Sanstha, the radical Hindutva outfit made a demand on Monday to exclude the word “secular” from the Preamble. Elaborating on the demand at a press conference, Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson Chetan Rajhans …

68 years of India's Constitution: Repeated amendments have meant document today is fundamentally different from the one enacted
7 years, 1 month ago

68 years of India's Constitution: Repeated amendments have meant document today is fundamentally different from the one enacted

Firstpost  

It is almost treason in the eyes of some to even suggest that the Constitution of India may not be the best Constitution in the world. But given that so much time has passed since it was enacted, it is perhaps a question that is worth examining Editors Note: As India celebrates its 69th Republic Day on 26 January, this …

Secularism vis-à-vis Religions By Justice KT Thomas
7 years, 5 months ago

Secularism vis-à-vis Religions By Justice KT Thomas

Live Law  

The word ‘secularism’ is mistakenly translated in Malayalam as Mathanirapekshatha. The teachings of Christian preachers and also their activities would have stood in the way of correctly understanding the purport of the decision or directives of the government and in such a context a judgment pronounced by the Supreme Court of United States had rendered a ratio explaining secularism as …

Secularism vis-à-vis Religions By Justice KT Thomas
7 years, 5 months ago

Secularism vis-à-vis Religions By Justice KT Thomas

Live Law  

The word ‘secularism’ is mistakenly translated in Malayalam as Mathanirapekshatha. The teachings of Christian preachers and also their activities would have stood in the way of correctly understanding the purport of the decision or directives of the government and in such a context a judgment pronounced by the Supreme Court of United States had rendered a ratio explaining secularism as …

Debating secularism
7 years, 8 months ago

Debating secularism

The Hindu  

JUSTICE VIKRAMJIT SEN, A RETIRED JUDGE of the Supreme Court, once observed during the hearing of a case in 2015: “India is a secular country, but I don’t know how long it will remain so.” A sense of exasperation might have been behind his observation, but events since then could make one wonder whether the judge’s remark was meant to …

What the courts miss in the Constitution
8 years, 1 month ago

What the courts miss in the Constitution

The Hindu  

Indian secularism continues to be misunderstood. Citing S. Radhakrishnan and several court judgments, Justice Thakur then expounds the meaning of secularism: a secular state must not identify with any one religion or be controlled by it. In short, a state is secular if religion and state power are ‘kept apart’, strictly separated from each other and when this separation is …

Supreme Court should clarify the Principles of Secularism ; Vice President Hamid Ansari [Video and Text]
8 years, 11 months ago

Supreme Court should clarify the Principles of Secularism ; Vice President Hamid Ansari [Video and Text]

Live Law  

Is it therefore bold to expect that the Supreme Court may consider, in its wisdom, to clarify the contours within which the principles of secularism and composite culture should operate with a view to strengthen their functional modality and remove ambiguities that have crept in?, He askedThe Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has underlined the centrality of the judiciary …

Supreme Court should clarify the Principles of Secularism ; Vice President Hamid Ansari [Video and Text]
8 years, 11 months ago

Supreme Court should clarify the Principles of Secularism ; Vice President Hamid Ansari [Video and Text]

Live Law  

Is it therefore bold to expect that the Supreme Court may consider, in its wisdom, to clarify the contours within which the principles of secularism and composite culture should operate with a view to strengthen their functional modality and remove ambiguities that have crept in?, He askedThe Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has underlined the centrality of the judiciary …

Allahabad HC upholds addition of words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ to Preamble to the Constitution of India [Read Judgment]
9 years, 1 month ago

Allahabad HC upholds addition of words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ to Preamble to the Constitution of India [Read Judgment]

Live Law  

A Division Bench of Allahabad High Court recently dismissed a challenge to the addition of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ to the Preamble of Constitution of the Country and re-emphasized on the secular nature our country.Terming the contention as baseless, the Bench comprising Justice Anant Kumar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari observed, “We may yet further point out that. A Division …

Secularism and the state
9 years, 2 months ago

Secularism and the state

The Hindu  

The idea of secularism in the Indian Constituent Assembly has become a debated issue in recent days. Shah moved amendments to the Drafting Committee’s proposals three times in the Constituent Assembly in the months of November and December 1948 with a view to inserting the word “secular” in the Constitution. II Proponents of the view that the place of religion …

Why India is not a secular state
9 years, 3 months ago

Why India is not a secular state

Op India  

The 42nd amendment to the Constitution of India inserted the word “secular” into the preamble thus making India a “secular” Republic. Here is why I assert that the Indian state is NOT secular : Different laws for Hindus, Muslims and Christians In a truly secular country, all citizens irrespective of religion would be covered by a single set of laws. …

Secularism and the Constitution
9 years, 3 months ago

Secularism and the Constitution

The Hindu  

The current winter session of Parliament was >expected to add clarity to the ongoing debate on tolerance, or the lack of it, in the country. After Union Home Minister >Rajnath Singh questioned the manner in which secularism is being used in contemporary discourse, Congress president Sonia Gandhi argued that the principles enshrined in the Constitution were >under deliberate attack. Given …

Don’t distort secularism: Rajnath
9 years, 3 months ago

Don’t distort secularism: Rajnath

The Hindu  

The discussion in Parliament to commemorate the Constitution and its framer, Dr. B.R. In a reference to film actor Aamir Khan’s statement that his wife had once considered leaving the country owing to the rising intolerance, Mr. Singh said: “Dr. 'BJP supports job reservation' Mr. Singh said the BJP was a supporter of reservation for backward classes in government jobs, …

India First - Who is afraid of Narendra Modi's definition of secularism?
12 years ago

India First - Who is afraid of Narendra Modi's definition of secularism?

India TV News  

‘Secularism' basically is a western concept that separates government institutions and functionaries from religious institutions and dignitaries.It basically means that the state has no religion of its own and that it will neither influence religious institutions nor will get influenced by them.The constitution that India adopted post independence did not include ‘secularism' in its Preamble. After the country was partitioned …

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