AIAWU to RSS: We Stand by Ambedkar, Not Manusmriti

New Delhi: The All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) has strongly condemned the RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s recent call to remove the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, calling it a direct attack on the country's foundational values and a dangerous assault on democracy.

Speaking at the AIAWU West Bengal State Convention in Kolkata, General Secretary B Venkat warned that the demand reflects the RSS–BJP’s long- standing agenda to erode constitutional safeguards for India’s working classes, religious minorities, and oppressed communities. "This is not just about changing a few words, it is a calculated move to replace the Constitution with the casteist, communal vision of Manusmriti,' he said.

The statement pointed out that the inclusion of ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ in the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment was not symbolic, but central to the doctrine of the Constitution’s basic structure. Any attempt to remove these values undermines decades of democratic evolution and disrespects the careful consensus between the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

AIAWU accused the RSS of seeking to institutionalise religious supremacy, caste hierarchy, and corporate authoritarianism. It reiterated that the Constitution is meant to uphold dignity and equality for all citizens, not just the privileged castes or classes. “The RSS wants Manusmriti, but we want the Constitution of Ambedkar,” the statement asserted.

Calling for a united democratic resistance, the AIAWU urged agricultural workers, rural poor, Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and youth to organise and resist these ideological attacks. It pledged to transform local struggles into a nationwide movement to defend the secular, socialist, and democratic soul of the Indian Republic.