Discuss each adjective attached to the word ‘republic' in the ‘preamble'. Are they defendable in the present circumstances
Answers
As per the preamble of the Indian constitution, people of India have resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.
Sovereign – India is an independent state exercising its rights over land, air and territorial water. However the term ‘sovereignty’ may be losing rigid connotations of “supreme and absolute power acknowledging no superior”. India had to submit to WTO ruling over the policy of “domestic content requirements” in solar panels. International governance especially on environment and climate change dilutes sovereignty of individual. However this has increased world order.
Socialist – means society is free from exploitation social, economic and political. Socialist ideas are present in the constitution in form of Directive Principle of State policy. Major public welfare schemes like MGNREGA, National food security act; Rashtra Fasal Bima Yojana etc are expression of India as a Socialist State. After LPG reform of 1991 production and distribution of good and services have gone in private hands. But still with government intervention the welfare nature of economy has been kept intact.
Secular - state deals with the individual as a citizen irrespective of his religion. In Indian context it gives equal importance to all religion. Secular fabric of the nation has been kept intact even in the time of turmoil, hatred, religious prosecutions neighboring regions. Recently SC has banned asking for votes in name of religion as per the provisions of Representation of the People act.
Democratic - The Constitution provides for representative parliamentary democracy under which the executive is responsible to the legislature for all its policies and action. Apart from Universal adult franchise, periodic election, rule of law, independent of judiciary; RTI, social audit etc has increased the depth of democracy in Indian society.