Politics and Economics in India- Whether it is separate or linked?
Though Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the principal architect of the Constitution, he never used the term "secularism" in the original document. The reason behind this was that he believed its essence was already instilled in the working of the Constitution through various provisions that ensured freedom ofRead more
Though Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the principal architect of the Constitution, he never used the term “secularism” in the original document. The reason behind this was that he believed its essence was already instilled in the working of the Constitution through various provisions that ensured freedom of religion and equal treatment of religions. Articles from 25 to 28 ensured freedom of religion, and the Preamble laid emphasis on justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, which implicitly acknowledged the concept of a secular state.
The term “secularism” was inserted into the Constitution through the 42nd Amendment under Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership in 1976. This was a broader attempt at underlining the country’s commitment to secularism and socialism at a time when the polity was getting increasingly satiated with political and social disturbances. It was reiterated in the Preamble itself, reiterating the fact that India shall remain committed to the cause of religious neutrality by treating all religions equally so that the State does not show any partiality towards any particular religion.
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The reality is that businessmen perceive their own interests that are, many a time, at variance with the legal structure laid down by elected representatives. Powerful business groups make every effort to win over the public policymakers for the protection and promotion of their own business interesRead more
The reality is that businessmen perceive their own interests that are, many a time, at variance with the legal structure laid down by elected representatives. Powerful business groups make every effort to win over the public policymakers for the protection and promotion of their own business interests. If politics wants to control and regulate economic activity with a view to promote public good, business too wants to influence and control the government in every democracy for its own personal advantage. Hence, every modern democracy has engaged itself in evolving mechanisms to keep political decision-makers insulated from the attempts of businessmen to influence the making of public policies.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is seized of the problem of keeping ‘politics at a distance from business’ and, on February 3, the media reported that the ministers have been asked ‘to sever all ties with business in which they have a stake’ . The PM rightly felt that there is a likely conflict of interest if ministers are associated with business and, hence, they are advised to distance themselves from the conduct of any business they might have been interested in before appointment. While the PM set the cat among the pigeons, company affairs minister Salman Khurshid on February 4 suggested a way out and advised the ministers that, like the US President, ‘politicians in power should get trusts to handle their business interests.’ inter-relationship and illicit liaison between politics and business does not end with ministers managing their own businesses or the possibility of inter-penetration of politics and business on the basis of funds provided by businessmen for elections to political parties or individual influential political leaders. Every democratic country including India has laws for the regulation of corporate funding of elections.