Mutual fraternity is necessary to maintain equality in country: CJI

NT Bureau, Agencies

Jaipur: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said mutual fraternity is necessary to maintain equality in the country.

Addressing a state-level 'Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman' campaign in Bikaner, the CJI asked how will the country progress if people fight with each other.

"We should have respect for each other in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution," he said. Justice Chandrachud said that "human dignity was of supreme importance in the minds of the makers of our Constitution".

"Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, as Chairman of the Drafting Committee, ensured that the Constitution promoted the values of justice, liberty and equality as well as the spirit of fraternity and dignity of the individual," he added.

Justice Chandrachud said what it means to say is that "mutual brotherhood is necessary to maintain equality in the country.

"How will the country progress if people fight each other? Therefore, when we say 'Our Constitution, Our Honour', we also have to emphasize that we should also promote fraternity and brotherhood in the country. Imbibe these feelings in your personal life," he added.

"The Constitution gives the right to equality before law. The principles and rights contained therein apply to all citizens irrespective of their background, religion, caste, sex or any other characteristic," he added.

The CJI said the Constitution ensures that all persons are treated equally and have equal opportunities.

Countering the theory that Indian Constitution is a paradise of lawyers, he said that it would be wrong to say that the Indian Constitution was created by just a few lawyers together.