MOVING TOWARDS ORIGINAL HIDDEN AGENDA... The words secular and socialist were removed from the preamble of Indias Constitution in an advertisement issued by the Narendra Modi government to commemorate Indias 66th Republic Day on Monday. The ad, published in newspapers across the country on January 26, quotes the preamble as: We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.... The original preamble says: WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens... Moreover, photos of Indians in the ad also marked a departure from the governments tendency to produce visual materials with images representing Indias religious diversity. The photos this year carried people who either looked Hindu or tribal. There was no Sikh was a turban or a Muslim with a skull cap. Ironically, a Modi quote next to the images says: There is only one holy book for the Indian government, and that is the Constitution. The government of India works according to the Constitution. While there has been no official clarification on the matter, the controversial advertisement is bound to be read in the context of the Modi governments ambiguous position on religious freedom as reflected in the Ghar Wapasi campaign run by right-wing groups. In his farewell speech on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama urged India to respect religious freedom. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith, Obama said in what is being read as his response to a rise of Hindutva forces after Modis rise to power.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:08:17 +0000
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