PANAJI
The national convention currently on at the Ramnathi temple in Ponda on Wednesday put forth a demand for omission of the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Constitution of India.
A statement issued by Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) national spokesman Ramesh Shinde said, the demand was made at the Hindu Rashtra Sansad at the ongoing national Hindu Rashtra convention.
"The words 'Secular' and 'Socialist' should be removed from the Constitution", Shinde said, adding these were forcefully inserted in 1976 through the 42nd Amendment by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
"If Western Constitutions are being drafted on the basis of the Bible in Christian-majority countries and on the basis of Quran-Hadith in Islamic countries, then why is it secular while drafting the Indian Constitution?," Shinde said, adding that exact definition of 'sect' and 'religion' should be clarified in the Constitution itself.
Another demand made at the Hindu Rashtra convention on Wednesday was that manifestos of political parties at elections should be accorded the status of a 'statutory document' by the Election Commission which should ensure the promises are fulfilled.
The 'dharam sansad' also made a demand seeking efforts to repeal the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which safeguards the religious character of all places of worship as it existed in 1947 with the Ayodhya being the only exception.
Yet another demand made included making it mandatory for Hindu girls marrying Muslims by performing 'nikah' to present evidence before the Women's Commission that they are not being forcibly converted or physically exploited.
Several other demands were also made including establishing the 'Gurukul Education Board' on the lines of the 'Madarasa Board' and enacting in Parliament an anti-conversion law.
