The move constitutes a grave threat to the foundational values of the nation and a direct attack on the rights of working people, says AIAWU
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA – The All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) on Saturday strongly condemned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) recent demand to remove the words “secular” and “socialist” from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, calling it a grave threat to the foundational values of the nation and a direct attack on the rights of working people, religious minorities, and oppressed communities.
The RSS call came during an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, where its General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale suggested deleting the terms that were added to the Constitution by the 42nd Amendment in 1976 during the Indira Gandhi-led Congress regime.
Reacting sharply, AIAWU General Secretary Comrade B. Venkat, while addressing the union’s West Bengal State Convention in Kolkata, accused the RSS-BJP combine of trying to subvert the spirit of the Constitution in pursuit of their agenda of religious majoritarianism, caste hierarchy, and corporate authoritarianism.
“The entire history of the RSS–BJP has been aligned with dominant castes and the rich classes. Every law they bring, every idea they promote, is directed against the working people of this country,” said Comrade Venkat. “This latest demand, too, is part of a larger design — to erase the constitutional rights of the oppressed, the exploited, and the working masses.”
He warned that the attempt to remove “secularism” and “socialism” was not merely symbolic, but intended to legitimise a casteist and communal order, drawing parallels with the regressive ideology of Manusmriti.
“This attack is not just against constitutional text — it is an assault on the working classes, landless labourers, unemployed youth, religious minorities, and the oppressed castes and communities. The BJP–RSS agenda is to institutionalise religious and caste-based hatred under state power,” he said.
The AIAWU leadership underscored that the Indian Constitution is not a static document but a dynamic one, constantly evolving through democratic processes while upholding its basic structure. The 42nd Amendment, which added “secular” and “socialist” to the Preamble, was a landmark assertion of the State’s commitment to equality, dignity, and justice for all citizens.
“The basic structure of the Constitution focuses on providing all citizens with an equal and dignified life. Removing these terms is an attack not only on secularism and socialism but on democratic procedure itself,” the AIAWU statement noted.
The union pointed out that the amendment was passed after rigorous debate and interaction between the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary — the three pillars of Indian democracy. Any attempt to reverse this is, in their words, a “disrespect to the democratic framework and a betrayal of the Indian people.”
Call for United Resistance
The AIAWU has called for a broad-based, nationwide resistance against the RSS’s ideological offensive. The union is urging all democratic, progressive, and secular forces to unite in defence of the Constitution.
It appealed specifically to agricultural workers, landless labourers, Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, and religious minorities to join hands in transforming local struggles into a powerful nationwide movement.
“We reject the RSS’s vision of a Manusmriti-driven India. We stand firmly for Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution — a secular, socialist, and democratic India. We call upon the rural poor to rise against these attacks,” said Comrade Venkat.
The union emphasised that this is not just a political battle, but a moral and constitutional one — to defend the soul of India from forces that seek to undo decades of progress toward equality and justice.
This controversy has erupted at a time of heightened political polarisation, with the ruling BJP facing criticism from various quarters for undermining constitutional values and democratic institutions. The RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, has long held that the words “secular” and “socialist” were imposed during the Emergency and do not reflect the “true character” of Indian civilisation.
However, constitutional experts and opposition parties argue that these values are deeply embedded in the freedom struggle and the Constitution’s original ethos. The Preamble, they insist, represents the core aspirations of the people and any attempt to alter it must be viewed as an attack on the sovereignty of the people themselves.
