Linguistic Regionalism Is Dangerous For Nation, Lawyers Should Resist: Justice Vijay Bishnoi

Justice Vijay Bishnoi of the Supreme Court has spoken against linguistic regionalism saying that the same is dangerous for the Nation and that Lawyers should contribute towards ending such tendencies. 

Justice Bishnoi was speaking at the 17th National Conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad at Balotra, Rajasthan.  

While speaking about regionalism, Justice Bishnoi said, "If you say in Rajasthan that only Rajasthanis will stay here, or that only Marathas will stay in Maharashtra or that only Malayalis will stay in Kerala, that is a very dangerous concept. We should be careful about it. Lawyers' role should be to contribute towards ending any such attempts."

He then said, "Today, there are many enemies of the nation inside the nation, apart from external enemies. It is their efforts to disturb social harmony inside the country. Therefore, we should fight together."

He said that we should ponder whether we have achieved social harmony even after 75 years of the Constitution of India. 

He quoted Dr. Ambedkar from the constituent assembly, "We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity. They form a union of trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy. Liberty cannot be divorced from equality, equality cannot be divorced from liberty. Nor can liberty and equality be divorced from fraternity. Without equality, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many. Equality without liberty would kill individual initiative. Without fraternity, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many. Equality without liberty would kill individual initiative. Without fraternity, liberty and equality could not become a natural course of things".

Justice Bishnoi said, "It was rightly said that social harmony cannot be achieved through speeches. Repeated efforts are required for the same. There is an attempt to disturb social harmony in many parts of the country to weaken the country." 

"It is the duty of the advocates who have gathered here from different parts of the country to consider how these designs to disturb social harmony and weaken the country can be stopped. It should be deliberated here as to how such attempts to disturb social and communal harmony should be tackled", Justice Bishnoi said.  

"Tushar Mehta rightly said that you talk about fundamental rights, but do we follow the duties prescribed in the Constitution! It is a little extreme to say that fundamental rights will be enforceable only when one says that one has discharged fundamental duties, but one should be able to say that he has done something towards duties enshrined in the Constitution", the Judge said, referring to the suggestion made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the same event.  

Tushar Mehta has said during his speech that anyone seeking the enforcement of fundamental rights through Courts should be required to first show compliance with fundamental duties provided in the Constitution of India. (read report)

Apart from Mehta, Dr Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the Rajasthan High Court and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also spoke during the session.