I'm a 24-year-old Indian girl who lives in a metropolitan city brought up by law-abiding Indian citizens in an Indian community and brought up in an Indian 'culture'. When I was growing up, I had to memorise the preamble of the constitution.
I never knew what it meant then and it didn't make a difference to me other than the 10 extra marks I would get for writing it down verbatim.
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:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the
Nation;
The Preamble adopts the word Sovereign to declare India as free and independent from both internal and external forces. While we maybe independent from external forces, we do however have forces, movements and ideologies such as yours that limit the growth of the country. Where there are limitations there can be no freedom.
And you, the elected leaders of our country have failed the constitution and with it, its people.
We declare ourselves socialist which means democratic socialism i.e. achievement of socialistic goals through democratic, evolutionary and non-violent means.
Being a country that gained its independence and sovereignty through non-violence and Ahimsa, it's quite shameful that you resort to inking, lynching and shooting to get your point across. You have once again failed to uphold your constitution but more importantly, the law.
Since secularism might be new to you, I'll break it down for you. This means that the Government, including and especially the Prime Minister of India, respects all religions and does not uplift or degrade any religion i.e India has no state religion.
Before you get all defensive and start questioning my 'culture' and my 'ethnicity', please bare in mind that it isn't me saying these words. It's the constitution of India, the country you swear by and whose culture you've been upholding so disastrously.
At this point of time, I'd like to quote our dear 'Culture' Minister who went on record to say
about the Dadri lynching - "I feel this incident occurred due to some misunderstanding and
the law should truthfully act against whoever is responsible for it."Sure, it was an 'accident'
and a 'misunderstanding' that led to the death of an innocent man who was pulled out of his own home and beaten in front of his family on suspicion that he was storing beef, which later proved to be mutton! Our beloved Prime Minister who has social media down to a pat, took 10 days to respond. I will not go into the fact that he asked us to listen to the speech and didn't refer to the incident at any point of time.
Or that he asked Hindus and Muslims to fight poverty instead. Sure, the next time we have a life-threatening disease, let's all cure ourselves instead of looking to doctors!
I'd also like to bring to your attention the words of your own Vichitra Tomar, "The police have arrested innocent people. We also demand legal action against those people, who are engaged in cow slaughter as it is hurting Hindu sentiments."Inciting communal tension and lynching a man are acts of 'innocent people'? How can we have leaders like this?
How can you lead a secular nation of varying religions when you are actively biased against certain communities based on their religion and nothing else?
Do you think scholar Kalburghi's wife who unknowingly opened the door to her husbands murderers feels that her husband's brutal and cold-blooded murder has been given justice? Does Narendra Dhabolkar's children feel that they have received justice for the assassination of their visionary father? Or if Mohammed Akhlaq's brutal lynching has been served justice?
Clearly, your leaders' words show that they don't deserve justice, but according to our constitution and any other rational person, they do.
While you ponder that, here's another shocker for you. The Preamble, in effect the constitution, ensures its citizens their right to Liberty. This means that all citizens are secured with liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith & worship. The irony is that, this exists in the Preamble and is part of the Fundamental Rights of a citizen of India.
And yet we have you, the elected leaders and hopeful leaders of our country violating our right to freedom of expression. Was Govind Pansare not allowed to voice his opinion on what he believed were social wrongs? Was he not allowed to express his belief that Sivaji was a secular leader who appointed Muslims as his generals. You could take a leaf out of Sivajis book, who supposedly is your icon.
Is it insecurity? I'm ashamed to ask if it is something that petty, but why else would you find the need to ink a highly regarded academic because he was headed to a book launch by a respected ex-diplomat?
At this time, I would like to directly address our honourable Prime Minister. Sir, when you came to power a year and half ago. You gave me hope. You reinvigorated in me a belief, a belief that India could be better and I could contribute to it. You made me think that "Kuch nahi hone wala" was just my self-doubt. You were strong and bold and we needed someone like you. Because to lead 1 billion people, you need such qualities.
And I thought, maybe this is exactly what India needs, a fierce leader. Now, you travel the world, visiting countries that you say will help strengthen India's economy, you invite nations to invest in our rich country to help it grow and you get made fun of. Cartoonists draw you, writers mock you and the media chides you for travelling too much. Yet I think he's travelling for India, he's getting nations to notice India, he's marketing for India and I continued to defend you.
But Sir, I've reached the end of the line. Your deafening silence is too hard to ignore anymore. Where are you when you're country is beginning to tear itself apart. Where are you when we look to you to unite us, to assure us that we are all still one. Where are you when writers across the country are uniting to defend the Preamble that you so conveniently have forgotten. You are silent.
Your silence leaves hooligans and rogues unchecked. Instead of reminding everyone of the very basic principles, our great country was built upon - freedom, independence, secularity, tolerance and equality, you chose to distance yourself and your government from the problem. You even went as far as to blame your opposition. Is it sad? Yes, of course it is. But what are you doing about it?
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I never knew what it meant then and it didn't make a difference to me other than the 10 extra marks I would get for writing it down verbatim.
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:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the
Nation;
The Preamble adopts the word Sovereign to declare India as free and independent from both internal and external forces. While we maybe independent from external forces, we do however have forces, movements and ideologies such as yours that limit the growth of the country. Where there are limitations there can be no freedom.
And you, the elected leaders of our country have failed the constitution and with it, its people.
We declare ourselves socialist which means democratic socialism i.e. achievement of socialistic goals through democratic, evolutionary and non-violent means.
Being a country that gained its independence and sovereignty through non-violence and Ahimsa, it's quite shameful that you resort to inking, lynching and shooting to get your point across. You have once again failed to uphold your constitution but more importantly, the law.
Since secularism might be new to you, I'll break it down for you. This means that the Government, including and especially the Prime Minister of India, respects all religions and does not uplift or degrade any religion i.e India has no state religion.
Before you get all defensive and start questioning my 'culture' and my 'ethnicity', please bare in mind that it isn't me saying these words. It's the constitution of India, the country you swear by and whose culture you've been upholding so disastrously.
At this point of time, I'd like to quote our dear 'Culture' Minister who went on record to say
about the Dadri lynching - "I feel this incident occurred due to some misunderstanding and
the law should truthfully act against whoever is responsible for it."Sure, it was an 'accident'
and a 'misunderstanding' that led to the death of an innocent man who was pulled out of his own home and beaten in front of his family on suspicion that he was storing beef, which later proved to be mutton! Our beloved Prime Minister who has social media down to a pat, took 10 days to respond. I will not go into the fact that he asked us to listen to the speech and didn't refer to the incident at any point of time.
Or that he asked Hindus and Muslims to fight poverty instead. Sure, the next time we have a life-threatening disease, let's all cure ourselves instead of looking to doctors!
I'd also like to bring to your attention the words of your own Vichitra Tomar, "The police have arrested innocent people. We also demand legal action against those people, who are engaged in cow slaughter as it is hurting Hindu sentiments."Inciting communal tension and lynching a man are acts of 'innocent people'? How can we have leaders like this?
How can you lead a secular nation of varying religions when you are actively biased against certain communities based on their religion and nothing else?
Do you think scholar Kalburghi's wife who unknowingly opened the door to her husbands murderers feels that her husband's brutal and cold-blooded murder has been given justice? Does Narendra Dhabolkar's children feel that they have received justice for the assassination of their visionary father? Or if Mohammed Akhlaq's brutal lynching has been served justice?
Clearly, your leaders' words show that they don't deserve justice, but according to our constitution and any other rational person, they do.
While you ponder that, here's another shocker for you. The Preamble, in effect the constitution, ensures its citizens their right to Liberty. This means that all citizens are secured with liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith & worship. The irony is that, this exists in the Preamble and is part of the Fundamental Rights of a citizen of India.
And yet we have you, the elected leaders and hopeful leaders of our country violating our right to freedom of expression. Was Govind Pansare not allowed to voice his opinion on what he believed were social wrongs? Was he not allowed to express his belief that Sivaji was a secular leader who appointed Muslims as his generals. You could take a leaf out of Sivajis book, who supposedly is your icon.
Is it insecurity? I'm ashamed to ask if it is something that petty, but why else would you find the need to ink a highly regarded academic because he was headed to a book launch by a respected ex-diplomat?
At this time, I would like to directly address our honourable Prime Minister. Sir, when you came to power a year and half ago. You gave me hope. You reinvigorated in me a belief, a belief that India could be better and I could contribute to it. You made me think that "Kuch nahi hone wala" was just my self-doubt. You were strong and bold and we needed someone like you. Because to lead 1 billion people, you need such qualities.
And I thought, maybe this is exactly what India needs, a fierce leader. Now, you travel the world, visiting countries that you say will help strengthen India's economy, you invite nations to invest in our rich country to help it grow and you get made fun of. Cartoonists draw you, writers mock you and the media chides you for travelling too much. Yet I think he's travelling for India, he's getting nations to notice India, he's marketing for India and I continued to defend you.
But Sir, I've reached the end of the line. Your deafening silence is too hard to ignore anymore. Where are you when you're country is beginning to tear itself apart. Where are you when we look to you to unite us, to assure us that we are all still one. Where are you when writers across the country are uniting to defend the Preamble that you so conveniently have forgotten. You are silent.
Your silence leaves hooligans and rogues unchecked. Instead of reminding everyone of the very basic principles, our great country was built upon - freedom, independence, secularity, tolerance and equality, you chose to distance yourself and your government from the problem. You even went as far as to blame your opposition. Is it sad? Yes, of course it is. But what are you doing about it?
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Clik here to view.
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