India, July 4 -- The Indian Constitution is not merely a legal manuscript; it is a living testament to the dreams, desires, and destiny of a billion-plus people. Often referred to as the Constitution's identity card, the Preamble is a poetic prelude that introduces this sombre symphony of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.

As arguments rage and dust is thrown around the alleged immutability or sanctity of this pillared text, especially the terms 'socialist' and 'secular', it may be constitutional dharma to revisit facts, law, and ethos to demonstrate how disingenuous and legally indefensible it is to claim that the Preamble is cast in stone, immune from amendments.

After the 42nd Amendment in 1976 added the terms socialist and ...