Raipur(Chattisgarh): Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana on Sunday said a constitutional republic shall thrive only when its citizens are aware of what its Constitution envisages. He emphasized that every individual must be made aware of their rights and duties and it should be the endeavor of the law graduates to explain to the people the constitutional provisions in simpler terms.
"The Constitution is meant for every citizen. Every individual must be made aware of their rights and duties. We have collective duty to promote the constitutional culture and raise awareness. It should be your endeavor to explain the Constitutional provisions in simpler terms and assimilate its ethos into the minds of the people. The Constitutional Republic shall only thrive when its citizens are aware of what their Constitution envisages," he said.
Addressing the fifth convocation of Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) Raipur at a hotel here, he also termed the law as an instrument of social change and said law school education must turn graduates into social engineers. The CJI told students who were graduating to not think in traditional ways and "start thinking out of the box".
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"Knowledge and information are the biggest assets one can possess. My experience in life has taught me that hard work never goes waste. Someday you shall be rewarded for the same. Speaking from my experience, the fundamentals of law that I learned as a student and as a young professional has helped to shape my career. Currently, you have a lot of time on your hand. Always use the same to nurture your mind," he told the students.
Ramana further told the students to use the skills they have learned in the University to further the goals of justice and asked them to take pro-bono cases as possible. "The most vulnerable are often the victims of human rights violations, either by the State or by anti-social elements. As young advocates, you are best placed to strongly oppose the same through legal action."
"Society needs your able assistance in the dispensation of inexpensive justice to the needy. Legal aid services in India are the largest in the world. We need young talented minds to steer the movement in the right direction. Go to the people who cannot reach you. Understand the prevailing social issues, raise concerns and stand up for them. Educate people to secure their rights and provide legal guidance whenever you can," he said.
"I urge you all to take up as many pro-bono cases as possible in your chase for material wealth, do not forget the power of change that lies within you. You must have a vision of the world you want to live in. But a vision is not enough. You must create it by standing up and fighting for it," he added. Meanwhile, the CJI also congratulated Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel saying that he has heard that the Chhattisgarh government was taking ample care of the infrastructural and budgetary needs of the judicial community in the state.
An HNLU public relations officer said, 60 students from the BA LLB (Hons) (batch of 2015-2020), 147 from the BA LLB (Hons) (2016-2021), 49 from the LLM (20192020), and 61 students from the LLM (2020-2021) were awarded degrees, while four students were conferred Ph.D. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel was the guest of honor, while Supreme Court judge Justice S Abdul Nazeer presided over the program and Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh Justice Arup Kumar Goswami was also present at the event.
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Chattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel welcomed CJI NV Ramana on Saturday evening as he arrived at Swami Vivekananda Airport. Director General of Police Ashok Juneja and other senior officers were also present there. CM Bhupesh Baghel welcomed him with a shawl and insignia. Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Arup Kumar Goswami, Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh Prashant Kumar Mishra, all judges of Chhattisgarh High Court, and Vice Chancellor of Hidayatullah National Law University VC Vivekanandan were present on this occasion. (With agency inputs)
