The Supreme Court while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Monday seeking the removal of the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution has said that secularism has long been regarded as an integral part of the Constitution's basic structure and the term 'socialism' means that there has to be an equal opportunity to all. Well, the Supreme Court's observation must have come like a tight slap on those who are still fighting to take away the fundamental basic rights of all the minorities, dreaming of forcibly imposing religious beliefs/customs/eating habits of just one single religion over others under the guise of pseudo-nationalism and thinking of turning this secular country into another Taliban type of fundamentalist 'Hindu nation'. Anyway, I hope that individuals like former union law minister Subramanian Swamy (one of the petitioners) who had filed the above PIL in the SC will henceforth come to their senses and finally accept the top court's latest observation over the term 'secularism' because the word secularism is indeed a basis and inalienable part of the Indian Constitution, which no one can challenge nor change it. Long live secular India. Jai hind.
