How will a ‘Hindu constitution’ help India’s precarious workers safeguard their futures?

The proposal by the Hindu Rashtra Samvidhan Nirmal Samiti has been troubling for those of us who are firmly committed to the socialist, secular values enshrined in the Constitution of India.

The 25-member committee of scholars is reported to have prepared a 501-page Hindu constitution. It draws inspiration from the Ramayana, the rules and teachings of Krishna, the Manusmriti and Chanakya’s Arthashastra, news reports say.

The draft has been prepared by scholars of Sanatan Dharma belonging to the Banaras Hindu University, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi and the Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi

What are we exactly opposing? Often, the debate becomes an argument between supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party and supporters of the Congress.

I think the debate should be around how best India’s Constitution can serve to protect the lives and livelihoods of India’s people. After all, the people are sovereign in a democracy.

Workers’ protests

However, the vast majority of the people of India are facing a future where they will have no jobs, no way to look after their aged parents or provide education to their children. We are witnessing the rapid developments in technology where jobs are being deleted and people are becoming redundant.

This is the daunting future and they are living on the edge of an abyss. How…

Read more