'Secularism and democracy can be saved only with socialism' - Dr. Prem Singh

Report

                         Seminar held in memory of Justice Rajindar Sachar in Jalandhar

          

Socialist Party, on the occasion of 95th birthday of Justice Rajindar Sachar, founder member of the party, organized a one-day seminar on 22 December 2018, on the topic 'How to Save Constitutional Institutions and Values?' in Jalandhar city of Punjab. Citizens from different parts of Punjab reached Jalandhar to pay their homage to Justice Sachar on this occasion.

The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. Prem Singh, president, Socialist Party. In his inaugural address, he said that neither the secularism nor the democracy can be saved by sacrificing the value of the socialism which is enshrined in the Constitution of India. By adopting the New Economic Policies in 1991, the political and intellectual leadership of the country had dropped the constitutional value of socialism. With this, the path of corporate politics was cleared in the country. Constitutional values of secularism and democracy cannot be saved without correcting this blunder. To save the constitutional institutions too, the re-establishment of socialism and send-off of neo-liberalism is a necessity. Because these constitutional institutions were not set up to serve the private sector. Dr. Singh conveyed to the audience that the Socialist Party will organize seminars and discussions on the topics of education, constitution and mutual brotherhood in the small towns and cities of the country in the memory of its three late leaders - Bhai Vaidya, Rajindar Sachar and Kuldip Nayar. In this series, party's next program will be held in Indore in the memory of Bhai Vaidya and in the memory of Kuldip Nayar in Amritsar.

Chief guest/speaker at the program, ND Pancholi, vice president, PUCL, paid tribute to Justice Sachar remembering his unwavering loyalty to the Constitution. He told that PUCL and PUDR filed petition in the Delhi High Court on the 1984 Sikh massacre. Justice Sachar issued a notice to the government to respond to the questions posed in the petition. But the bench of hearing of the petition was changed and the High Court dismissed the petition. The Supreme Court did the same. Pancholi underlined the serious crisis to the constitutional values and institutions particularly during the present regime. He specifically cited the Congress's 1931 Karachi convention, saying that the values of freedom struggle contributed to the Constitution of India. Those who opposed the struggle of independence, they are destroying most the constitutional institutions and values. He emphasized that the constitutional institutions and values can be saved by uniting the peoples' power all over the country.

Lohian thinker Prof. SS Chhina while addressing the seminar said that the rapid privatization of education and health is a direct violation of the constitutional institutions and values. There are 12 private universities in Punjab and out of these 3 are situated in Jalandhar itself. Prof. Jagmohan Singh, an exponent/activist of revolutionary socialist ideology, said that the slogan of socialism was first given by Bhagat Singh and his comrades. He emphasized on the awakening of the revolutionary spirit in order to save the constitutional values and institutions. Several citizens/civil society activists from the audiences also took part in the discussion and expressed their views on the topic.

Balwant Singh Kheda, senior vice president, Socialist Party, presided over the seminar. Harendra Singh Mansaia, president, Socialist Party, Punjab, welcomed the delegates/guests and general secretary Om Singh Satiyana conducted the proceedings of the seminar.

Report by Dr. Hiranya Himakar