Supreme Court Judges address national Constitution convention at OP Jindal Global University

OP Jindal Global University recently organized a National Convention on the Constitution of India to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

Six judges of the Supreme Court, Justices Abhay S Oka, CT Ravikumar, MM Sundresh, Sudhanshu Dhulia, Sanjay Karol, and KV Viswanathan spoke at the event and reflected on the working of the Constitution of India.

Founding Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Jindal Global Law School, Prof (Dr) C Raj Kumar welcomed the judges at the event, while observing,

"The Constitution is not just a legal framework but a living document and is a moral compass to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens."

Justice CT Ravikumar commented on the Constitution of India being not only a mechanical directive but also having a soul and mission of its own. 75 years ago, Dr. BR Ambedkar led the founding fathers to embark on the biggest experiment in human history to establish the world's largest democracy, he observed. Justice Ravikumar added that as part of the judiciary, although he has seen the Constitution evolve continuously, it has remained true to its core.

Justice Abhay S Oka called for all to take a pledge to protect the Constitution and its basic structure in order to protect the fundamental rights of the citizens.

"We need to make an honest assessment if the judiciary has fulfilled the expectations of the common man about what we have done during the last 75 years, whether the benefits of fundamental rights have reached the common man of this country. Sadly the answer will have to be no. Therefore this is one thing which all of us will have to seriously consider. Today we must pledge to protect our constitution and its basic structure; only then will we be able to protect the fundamental rights of our citizens," he said.

Justice MM Sundresh observed that the Constitution must not be narrowly interpreted, while also emphasising on the need for all institutions to work within the Constitution.

"The basic structure of the Constitution must continue with adequate changes to ensure that we do not have a narrow, pedantic view. Every act and every rule must conform to the Constitution and the state and central legislature cannot go beyond the Constitution. A policy decision must conform to the mandate of the Constitution. Along with fundamental rights, there are also fundamental duties and basic principles to be adhered to," he observed.

Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia attributed the Constitution as the reason behind India being a united country.

 “As we are aware, India is a very diverse country. At the time of independence many scholars and statesmen had written off India saying that the country will not survive and it will be balkanised as it's not a country but a continent. We have proved them wrong as we have not only survived as a nation but we have survived as a democracy where every five years we have elections  and  we elect our representatives. There are a lot of achievements and the Constitution is the reason why India remains a united country," he noted.

Justice Sanjay Karol commented on the link between the Indian judiciary and the Constitution.

"As a judge I abide by the preamble of the Constitution and to uphold and respect its ideals. It should be our duty to demonstrate excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement. In this context, the independence of the Indian Judiciary is absolutely paramount for the functioning of the Constitution," he said.

Justice KV Viswanathan noted that institutions in India have done extraordinarily well under its Constitution.

"You will not find a single instance in the last 75 years of any legislature or parliament clinging to office after their term was over. This shows the smooth functioning of the Constitution and the greatness of our citizens ... The Constitution’s basic structure is a very important document as the judiciary has played a salutary role and been a firm check to prevent any excess!” he added.

Other dignitaries who spoke at the convention included Executive Dean, Prof. (Dr.) SG Sreejith and Vice Dean, Prof. (Dr.) Dipika Jain.

"We are living in a glorious moment which marks the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution. History often gives itself generously to people. This moment is a recurrence of the founding moment of India," Prof. Sreejith observed at the event.

"The Constitution is the bedrock of democracy and governance ...  It is a powerful framework crafted in the aftermath of independence and provided a vision for a diverse nation to unite on the principle of justice, equality and freedom," Prof. Jain added.

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