Emphasising the importance of freedom & liberty, CJI D Y Chandrachud on Thursday, 15 August noted that the recent events in neighbouring Bangladesh remind the value of these rights.
Speaking after hoisting the national flag in the Supreme Court premises, CJI Chandrachud said Independence Day reminds us of the duties the Country’s people have towards each other & the nation in realising all the values of the Constitution.
He said, “What is happening today, say, in Bangladesh is a clear reminder of how precious liberty is for us. It is very easy to take freedom & liberty for granted but it is important to understand the past stories to remind us how important these things are”.
The CJI’s remarks came amid mounting concerns in India over widespread incidents of attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned & fled on 5 August following weeks of violent unrest.
Highlighting the significance of Independence Day, Chandrachud said, “This day we honour our commitment to realise the dreams of all those who laid their lives for this country & those who lived to make it greater.”
“Every beating heart in India, no matter their age or stature, goes back in time & fills with a deeply emotive sense of patriotism & indebtedness to our freedom fighters when we see our majestic flag flying high against the air of freedom on Independence Day,” he said.
“On the occasion of Independence Day, I wish all of you, members of our journalistic core, a very happy Independence Day. Through you, I wish the rest of the nation, particularly those connected with law, a very happy Independence Day,” he told reporters.
He noted that many lawyers gave up their legal profession & dedicated themselves to the cause of the nation.
The CJI said the work of the courts reflects the struggles of ordinary Indians navigating the rough & tumble of their daily lives.
He stressed that a modern judiciary requires an accessible & inclusive infrastructure.
Supreme Court Bar Association President & Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal recalled the words of first PM Jawahar Lal Nehru & said that is the freedom the country cherishes.
“On August 15, he said I am the first servant of people of India. This is the spirit in which we wanted to uphold our freedom. We need to be free, need equality, get rid of poverty,” Sibal said.
CJI Chandrachud said India has conquered new frontiers of social justice, scientific development, economic prosperity & political milestones in the last 77 years.
He said when India achieved independence in 1947, it marked a tectonic shift in global power.
“Our founding parents charted out with a single minded focus to uplift our citizens. They were guided by the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi, to wipe every tear from every eye, so long as there was suffering in this country,” he said.
“They knew that this was not a task which could be achieved in just one lifetime. But they resolved to not rest till they achieved it. The first task of independent India was therefore, for the Constituent Assembly to devise a Constitution that would serve the goals of a social revolution & of national renaissance,” he said.
Chandrachud said the Constitution put the marginalised & the disenfranchised at front & centre in the national project of emancipation.
“It ushered in a reign of deliberative democracy inspired by the ideals of justice, liberty, equality & fraternity. & to meet these aims, the Constitution weaved an intricate network of democratic institutions.” he said.
“It established a representative, responsive & responsible government premised on parliamentary democracy & universal adult franchise. These ideas were no less than revolutionary for a country coming out of the brutal clutches of colonialism,” he added.
Chandrachud said lawyers & the Bar have been a constant force of good in the country.
“The courts are vital to uphold the rights & dignity of citizens. But the Bar, wedded to the Constitution & the rule of law, is vital to uphold the conscience of the courts. Members of the Bar are the crucial link between the people & the judges,” he noted.