Himanta Biswa Sarma urges removal of ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ from Constitution’s preamble, targets Indira Gandhi for not resolving illegal immigration and chicken neck issues
As the nation commemorates the 50 years of emergency, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has called for the abolition of the words “Secular” and “Socialist” from the Preamble to the Indian Constitution. Talking to reporters after the launch of a book titled ‘The Emergency Diary’, a book which records resistance to the 1975 Emergency, Sarma said these words were inserted during the regime of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and were never included in the original Constitution.
“Those two words—’Socialism’ and ‘Secularism’—were not originally in the Constitution. They were added under Emergency by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I urge the Government of India to delete them from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution,” Sarma stated.
He contended that “secularism” is against India’s fundamental belief of Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava—respect for all religions in equal measure—and “socialism” was never an original Indian economic idea. Rather, he stated, India has always adopted the principles of Sarvodaya (good of all) and Antyodaya (benefit of the lowest).
This is the time to eradicate all legacies of the Emergency,” he stated, making a call for an ideological break from what he characterised as the “colonial and Emergency-era mentality.”
Raises questions on Indira Gandhi’s role in the creation of Bangladesh
Sarma also used the occasion to raise questions about Indira Gandhi’s role in the 1971 creation of Bangladesh. During the same occasion, he said, “Many people give credit to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the creation of Bangladesh, but for the people of Assam, the creation of Bangladesh was never good news.”
He said that Indira Gandhi could have utilised the occasion to negotiate the repatriation of Bangladeshi refugees who had crossed over into Assam during the war. “Therefore, until now, Assamese people are experiencing an identity crisis,” he stated, implying that the influx of refugees has created a lasting effect on the Northeast.
He also said that the then Indian government should have resolved the issue of Chicken Neck after helping the creation of Bangladesh.
Posting the video of his comments on X, he stated, “From ‘Chicken Neck’ to ‘taking back illegal immigrants’, Smt. Indira Gandhi could have used the birth of Bangladesh as a bargaining chip to settle several issues faced by the Northeast. History will have to judge her role dispassionately.” Assam CM Sarma asked whether the 1971 war had been a strategic victory or a long-term handicap for India.
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