On the 75th Republic Day, the Government of India on its social media handle ‘MyGovIndia’ shared a post with an image of the ‘original preamble’ which does not include the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’. The citizens have heavily criticized this.
The 42nd Amendment added two words to the Preamble in 1976 that are not present in the original preamble.
Along with the Constitution, the preamble was adopted on 26th Nov 1949 and implemented on 26th Jan 1950. This day is celebrated as Republic Day with enthusiasm and a strong sense of patriotism throughout the nation. It serves as a reminder of the principles guaranteed in the Constitution and its commitment to unity, equality, and sovereignty.
The Amendment
In 1976, the 42nd Amendment Act, or The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, was amended during the emergency period. The 42nd Amendment changed the description of India from a “sovereign democratic republic” to a “sovereign, socialist secular democratic republic”, and also the words “unity of the nation” changed to “unity and integrity of the nation”.
This amendment act also amended several Articles and the Seventh Schedule along with the Preamble.
MyGovIndia Post
On Instagram, the official Indian government handle posted an image of the ‘original preamble’ and shared the achievements of the current government (BJP) as well as several schemes. The caption says, “As we celebrate 75 years of the Republic of India, let’s revisit the original Preamble of our Constitution. How well does New India resonate with these foundational principles? Take a look to embark on a journey through time, exploring how India has evolved while staying true to its roots.”
The Preamble Issue
It is not the first time the ‘original preamble’ has been shared by the ruling party (BJP).
In Sept 2023, Congress leader MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said that the copies of the Preamble distributed to the Members of Parliament during the first meeting of the Parliament building did not have the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ in it. “..When I was reading it, I couldn’t find these two words. I added them on my own… I also showed it to Rahul Gandhi…It was amended in 1976, so why shouldn’t we get it today? Why do we do amendments? This shows the deliberate attempt to change our Constitution…” Chowdhury told ANI.
However, dismissing the accusations, Minister of State Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “When the Constitution was drafted, it was like this. An amendment was made later. This is the original copy.”
In June 2023, the Telangana State Council for Educational Research and Training (TSCERT) printed the ‘original preamble’ on the front page of the 10th-class Social Studies textbook and faced backlash from various teacher groups and organizations.
On Republic Day of 2015, In the Times of India, a half-page advertisement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was published featuring the ‘original preamble’ and PM Modi wishing people for Republic Day.
Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “The controversy surrounding the ad is uncalled for. Photo of the original Preamble was a way of honoring the founding fathers of the Constitution”.
