‘Constitution has potential to provide life to biggest democracy'

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Manipal Law School (MLS) of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) organised the second edition of Constitutional Law Lecture Series Programme 2023 in its Bengaluru campus on Friday.

The event was attended by eminent speakers including Hon’ble Justice (Retd) Shri Swatanter Kumar and Prof (Dr) C Basavaraju, Justice (Retd) Shri Swatanter Kumar, a former Judge of the Supreme Court and Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal, and Prof (Dr) C Basavaraju, Vice Chancellor of the Karnataka State Law University, Hubballi.

The event marked the significance of the Constitution at a time of widespread conversations throughout the country on constitutional morality and challenges within the domain of judicial interpretation of some recent contemporary issues.

In his address at the event, Justice (Retd) Shri Swatanter Kumar said, “I must compliment the institution for holding these constitutional (law lecture) series. The Indian Constitution is not only a book, it is a living document. It has the potential to provide life to the biggest democracy in the world. What is social justice to a nation? Justice has two primary factors – one is the rule of law, and the other is access to justice. When we talk about social justice, it means irrespective of class or society, everyone will be provided a decent life; which alludes to the environment, right to live and right to livelihood. Justice is an expression of wide connotation that makes every organ of the state responsible for achieving that target.”

Adding to the importance of a good environment in the context of social justice, he said, “The combination of constitutional law and environmental law has been shown perfectly by Gandhiji. If you can’t pass the earth to the next generation in a better condition, try and pass it in the condition you got it.”

Vice Chancellor, Karnataka State Law University, Hubballi, Prof (Dr) C Basavaraju said, “There is a need to live with the constitutional values before speaking on social justice. The Indian Constitution, which provides justice, indicates that there is a need to provide for social, economic and political justice to all in this country. India is well appreciated by the rest of the world because we are all living in the midst of so much diversity. What binds the different parts of the country is the Constitution of India. Social justice means it is imperative that every person, every last person to the very core of society regardless of their religion, cast or status gets access to justice.”

Prof (Dr) Avinash Dadhich, Professor and Director, Manipal Law School, Bengaluru, said, "Today, discussing constitutional law in India is crucial in promoting social justice and ensuring the protection of fundamental rights. In recent times, there have been debates and discussions around the concept of constitutional morality and its application in Indian society. These discussions are importantas they help shape the interpretation and implementation of constitutional provisions to uphold social justice and prevent the erosion of fundamental rights."