Recent events in Bangladesh remind us the value of freedom, liberty: CJI

Emphasising the importance of freedom and liberty, Chief Justice 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, Chandrachud said Independence Day reminds us of the duties the country's people have towards each other and the nation in realising all the values of the Constitution.

"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 and liberty for granted but it is important to understand the past stories to remind us how important these things are," he said.

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 and 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 and those who lived to make it greater."

"Every beating heart in India, no matter their age or stature, goes back in time and fills with a deeply emotive sense of patriotism and 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 and 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 and tumble of their daily lives.

He stressed that a modern judiciary requires an accessible and inclusive infrastructure.

Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Kapil Sibal recalled the words of first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and 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 and 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 and of national renaissance," he said.

Chandrachud said the Constitution put the marginalised and the disenfranchised at front and centre in the national project of emancipation.

"It ushered in a reign of deliberative democracy inspired by the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. And to meet these aims, the Constitution weaved an intricate network of democratic institutions." he said.

"It established a representative, responsive and responsible government premised on parliamentary democracy and 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 and the Bar have been a constant force of good in the country.

"The courts are vital to uphold the rights and dignity of citizens. But the Bar, wedded to the Constitution and the rule of law, is vital to uphold the conscience of the courts. Members of the Bar are the crucial link between the people and the judges," he noted.