Across the Aisle

The word 'secular' is anathema to the supporters of Hindu rashtra but can a plural, diverse, multi-religious and democratic country be anything but secular?

- P Chidambaram

I admire the French who are predominantly Catholic but fiercely secular. The other word 'socialist' has no fixed meaning; it is often used to describe a welfare state and the BJP cannot deny that India is a welfare state. The addition of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' did not radically alter the basic structure of the Constitution.