WHO CHANGED OUR CONSTITUTION & WHY?

It's time to ask awakening questions — why were 'Socialist,' 'Secular,' and 'Integrity' forcefully added to our Constitution, while many flaunt it today without ever reading or comparing the original

- Gajendra Singh

In recent years, a striking shift has emerged among the youth of Indiaabout the discussion on Constitution of India. It is no longer confined to courtrooms or classrooms, — from television debates and political speeches, constitutional discourse has entered the streets, social media, and everyday conversations.

The reference to the Constitution is now not only a legalist or leader, but also liberal, conservative, activists, students, and common citizens. But do most of us ever reading or comparing the original one, while flaunting it in publicly. And are we understand how this sacred document has changed over time — especially its preamble, which is called soul of the Constitution?

Unlike the general perception, the preamble we read today is not the same that was adopted on 26 November 1949. During the Emergency (1975-77), one of the most dark and controversial periods of Indian democracy, a significant change occurred. Three new words were added to the preamble through the 42nd Constitution Amendment Act passed in 1976 under the leadership of then Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi — “socialist”, “secular” and “integrity”. But the question is: was this change just symbolic, or was the deep political objective of centralizing power behind it?