Bangladesh a clear reminder of how precious liberty is for us: CJI Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India DY Chancdrachud also underlined the duties as citizens in understanding the importance of constitutional values. (File Photo: PTI)

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Thursday that it was easy to take freedom and liberty for granted but it was important to remember our past to remind us of how precious liberty is to us. The CJI was addressing the Supreme Court event on the occasion of India’s 78th Independence Day.

Drawing parallels between India’s choice for freedom and the crisis in Bangladesh to underscore the significance of constitutional values, CJI Chandrachud said that the happenings in the neighbouring country serve as a stark reminder of how precious freedom and liberty are to us.
“We chose in 1950, the uncertainty of freedom. What is happening today, say, in Bangladesh, is a clear reminder of how important liberty is for us,” he said.

#WATCH | Addressing Independence Day celebrations at the Supreme Court, CJI DY Chandrachud says, "...We chose in 1950, the uncertainty of freedom. What is happening today in Bangladesh, is a clear reminder of how precious liberty is for us... It's very easy to take freedom and… pic.twitter.com/HP3NQjQJHd

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— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2024

The CJI’s remarks came amid tensions in Bangladesh and the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Hasina, who ruled the country for over 15 years, had to flee the country following weeks of intense protests led by students. An interim government headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge as chief advisor (equal to prime minister) on August 8.

“It is very easy to take freedom and liberty for granted, but it is important that we dwell on the stories of the past to remind us how precious these values are,” the CJI said.

The CJI also underlined the duties of citizens in realising the values of the Constitution. “This day we honour the commitment of who lives this life to make it greater and who is working to make it greater. We all speak about the Constitution in the backdrop of the colonial era and what our country suffered,” he said.

CJI Chandrachud also paid tribute to the freedom fighters who abandoned their legal careers to join the struggle for independence. He said that Babasaheb Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, Govind Vallabh Pant, Devi Prasad Khaitan, and Sir Syed Mohammed Saadullah, among others, were instrumental in India achieving freedom as well as in establishing an independent judiciary.

The CJI further said that the work of Indian courts is a reflection of the “struggles of ordinary Indians navigating the rough and tumble of their lives” and that the legal community allows the court to do justice to these citizens in whatever measure possible.