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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 9:59:04 pm

Safety First

The death of two people and injuries to five others after a 22-foot Ganesh idol collapsed during its arrival ceremony in Mumbai is a deeply disturbing accident. It is particularly unfortunate that such an incident should occur barely three weeks before Ganeshotsav begins on September 14. A festival that is synonymous with devotion, community and celebration must not begin under such a gloomy shadow. The incident took place in Bhuleshwar, as the idol of Bhuleshwaracha Raja was being...

Safety First

The death of two people and injuries to five others after a 22-foot Ganesh idol collapsed during its arrival ceremony in Mumbai is a deeply disturbing accident. It is particularly unfortunate that such an incident should occur barely three weeks before Ganeshotsav begins on September 14. A festival that is synonymous with devotion, community and celebration must not begin under such a gloomy shadow. The incident took place in Bhuleshwar, as the idol of Bhuleshwaracha Raja was being transported from Byculla to its pandal. Preliminary information points to the unravelling of loose nuts and bolts in the idol’s supporting frame. Whatever the final findings of the investigation, the fact remains that a structure weighing many tonnes and being moved through a crowded urban neighbourhood cannot be allowed to become a lethal hazard. The prompt mobilisation of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, traffic police, 108 ambulance service and civic ward staff deserves recognition. But emergency response, however efficient, is no substitute for prevention. By the time emergency services arrive, lives may already have been lost. That is the lesson Mumbai and Maharashtra must absorb before the festival begins. Ganeshotsav is among the biggest public celebrations in the state. Its arrival processions draw enormous crowds, with towering idols, decorated vehicles, music, electrical installations and devotees converging on narrow streets. The scale of the celebrations has grown dramatically, but safety practices must grow with it. Every Ganesh pandal preparing for this year’s festival should treat structural safety as seriously as religious and logistical arrangements. Frames, fasteners, lifting equipment, transport vehicles and securing mechanisms must be inspected by competent personnel before an idol is moved. Organisers should not assume that a structure is safe simply because it has been used before. A single loose bolt can have catastrophic consequences. The authorities, too, cannot leave safety entirely to organisers. Civic agencies should conduct systematic inspections of large idols and their transportation arrangements, particularly where processions pass through densely populated areas. Traffic management, crowd control, overhead electrical infrastructure and emergency access routes need to be planned in advance. Safety checks should be mandatory, documented and meaningful, not just a box-ticking exercise. There is still time to act. The accident should be treated not merely as an isolated mishap but as a warning. Maharashtra has barely three weeks to ensure that every major pandal and procession has robust safety protocols in place. Ganeshotsav should begin with faith, excitement and the unmistakable sense of a city coming together and not with the memory of preventable deaths. The best tribute to those who lost their lives in Bhuleshwar would be to ensure that no family has to suffer such grief during the celebrations ahead.

Judicial Rebuff

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

The Supreme Court of India has firmly rejected petitions seeking to expunge “socialist” and “secular” from the Preamble of the Constitution. This rebuke, nearly half a century after these terms were enshrined via the 42nd Amendment during the Emergency in 1976, underscores both the resilience of constitutional principles and the judiciary’s role as the guardian of India’s democratic ethos.


Critics have long pointed to its draconian context—the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi’s government—as grounds for its reassessment. But the judiciary was clear that timing alone does not invalidate legislative acts. The Court emphasized that these terms have since gained deep acceptance among Indians, becoming integral to the constitutional “weave.”


The Court delineated the Indian meanings of secularism and socialism, deflating objections rooted in rigid ideological frameworks. Secularism, it argued, was a facet of equality, mandating state neutrality in matters of faith and that it is not anathema to religious practices unless these impede public welfare or equity. Socialism, too, was recast not as an economic straitjacket but as a commitment to social justice and welfare, reflecting India’s mixed economy, where private enterprise thrives alongside public redistribution.


For the petitioners linked to the ruling BJP, this judicial verdict is a political setback. While their arguments resonated with segments critical of the Emergency-era legacy, they failed to convince the court of the harm caused by the inclusion of these words caused to governance or individual rights? Even the BJP, in its decades in power, has pursued economic liberalization and welfare programs without breaching the boundaries set by constitutional commitments.


The SC verdict means the BJP will now have to eschew courtroom theatrics for legislative reform. Parliament remains the proper forum to initiate such debates, and amendments require the assent of two-thirds of both houses, followed by ratification by half the state legislatures. This route, arduous though it may be, offers legitimacy that judicial decrees cannot.


The debate over secularism and socialism is not unique to India. Across the border, Bangladesh is wrestling with similar questions about its constitutional identity. Attorney General Mohammad Asazzaman recently proposed to remove “secularism” and “socialism” as guiding principles from the Bangladeshi Constitution. Unlike India, where these principles have been adapted to reflect its unique pluralistic ethos, Bangladesh’s approach signals a retreat from foundational ideals.


Either way, if the BJP intends to reshape the constitutional ethos in order to prove the detriment done by including secularism and socialism as part of the Constitution, the SC verdict proved it will have to do more to first convince the country of its vision. For now, the Court has reaffirmed that the Preamble is not just a preface but the soul of the Constitution.

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