MUMBAI: A PIL in the Bombay high court has sought an interpretation and implementation of the term socialist as used in the preamble to the Constitution of India.

The PIL does not challenge the government's policy as being unconstitutional, but wants the HC to put to test the relevance of the term socialist in the Constitution given the various policy decisions that are contrary to its known meaning.

Trade union leader Subhash Sawant and industrialist Ajay Mafatlal filed the PIL last Friday. They made all big political parties as party to the PIL.The basis of the PIL, they say is that policy decision are causing "grave prejudice'' to those following either ideology.

The PIL pointed to debates of the Constituent Assembly where Dr B R Ambedkar himself in 1948 said: "What should be the policy of the State, how the Society should be organized in its social and economic side are matters which must be decided by the people themselves according to time and circumstances. It cannot be laid down in the Constitution itself, because that is destroying democracy altogether.'' But in 1976 by the 42nd amendment the word "socialist' was added making the preamble read ''…to constitute Indian into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic. ''

The trend of the government shifting its policies towards Globalization and liberalization begs the question whether citizens are being misdirected into believing that the government's policies are in consonance with the Constitution.