Team Herald
PANJIM: Politicians, lawyers and activists in Goa, on Tuesday welcomed Supreme Court’s observations, in which it reaffirmed that secularism has long been regarded as an integral part of the Constitution’s basic structure.
The top court made the statement orally on Monday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the removal of the terms ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble to the Constitution.
“You don’t want India to be secular?” Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked, while hearing the plea alongside Justice Sanjay Kumar. The Supreme Court bench said that the term ‘socialism’ should not necessarily be interpreted in the western context and the term can also mean that there has to be an equal opportunity for all.
“There are a number of judgments of this court which hold that secularism was always part of the basic structure of the Constitution. If one looks right to equality and word fraternity used in the Constitution as well as the rights under Part III, there is a clear indication that secular has been held as the core feature of the Constitution,” Justice Khanna said.
Reacting to Justice Khanna’s comments, former Minister for Law and Judiciary Ramakant Khalap said, “I am happy about it. Since the beginning the Constitution of India has been secular. It is mentioned in the preamble of the Constitution itself. India is sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. It is good that the petition was filed, as it has cleared doubts -- if there were any -- particularly in the mind of former Law Minister Subramanian Swamy ( one of the petitioners).”
Former State Election Commissioner Prof Prabhakar Timble said, “Knocking on Supreme Court's door with a PIL challenging the insertion of ‘secularism’ in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution is not a healthy social and political indicator.”
“However, it is apt and appropriate that the apex court has time and again reiterated that secularism is a basic and inalienable part of the Indian Constitution,” Prof Timble said.
“I would say that secularism is constitutional nationalism. It is integral to democracy in a multi-religious and multi-faith society like India. The real threat to secularism and democracy today is from growing communalism blessed by right wing political forces,” he said.
Former Law Minister Dominic Fernandes said, “Word secularism is in the Constitution Preamble. It is the basis of our Constitution and nobody can challenge and change it.”
Psychiatrist and actor Dr Meenacshi Martins, said, “Former Union Law Minister Subramanian Swamy should focus on urgent issues rather than challenging orders of the Supreme Court, which are already passed and established and accepted by the larger part of the society in India. We accept our secular status for the country and we respect it because we identify ourselves as Indians and Indians are secular.
Muslim Democratic Society of Goa president Iftekhar Shaikh said, “It is not proper to remove words like secularism from the Constitution of India. If it remains in the Constitution it will help classes like SCs and STs and minorities.”