The legal system is under attack from fascism, and there is a need to recognise the pattern in which this is being done and fight it, says Clifton D’Rozario, an advocate from the Karnataka High Court.
Speaking at a seminar on ‘Protection of Constitutional Values - Role of State Lawyers’, organised by the All India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ) in Vijayawada on June 25 (Sunday), Mr. Rozario, who is the general secretary of AILAJ, said the Babri Masjid case, the Justice Loya case, the Bhima Koregaon case point out to this pattern, where the judiciary seemed hesitant to go against the government.
Referring to how the right wing was trying to infiltrate the legal system to spread its ideologies, he said, “The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has an association for lawyers too. There are concerted efforts to replace the Constitution with Manusmriti. The statue of Manu, installed on the premises of Jodhpur Bench of Rajasthan High Court in 1989, stands tall till date.”
Only Constitutional values such as fraternity, equality and liberty could help bring justice to people, he said, adding that these were the values that the legal system seemed to be lacking today. One should look up to lawyers such as B.R. Ambedkar, K. Balagopal, K.G. Kannabiran, who had fought for the oppressed, he said.
G. Rohith, Human Rights Forum State Secretary, lamented how the judiciary was no long secular as was evident from the verdict in the Hijab case, and how activists held in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case continue to wait for justice.
Advocates and members of AILAJ spoke.
