HNLU: Second Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture On Will Of The People Or The Rule Of Law
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) successfully hosted the 2nd Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture 2023 on its campus today on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Deepak Gupta, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, was the Chief Guest of the programme and delivered the memorial lecture titled “Will of the People - Rule of Law” Justice Deepak Gupta was formerly the Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh &Chancellor of HNLU. Justice C.B. Bajpai, former Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh was the guest of honour.
Prof. Dr. V. C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor of HNLU in his opening remarks observed that though the ‘Will of the People’ is supreme it can be compared to that of the origin of a river and the course of such river to nourish life has to be determined by the ‘Rule of the Law’. He further said that the Government represents the ‘Will of the People’ and Judiciary guards the ‘Rule of the Law’ but both postulates have to keep the ‘Constitution’ as its central idea.
Justice C.B. Bajpai, remarked, that the rule of law is a principle that holds that all people and its governing institutions. But all are ultimately subservient to law, and no one is above the law and hence everyone should be treated equally in the eyes of law.
Justice Deepak Gupta in his inspiring and engaging session on the said topic observed that the Constitution of India is certainly an empowering and finely crafted instrument, the heart and soul of which is encapsulated in its Preamble and as a Judge all these years, he looked at the Preamble as the defining document to deal with any case.
Speaking on the concept of Will of the People or Rule of Law theme, he observed that though Will of the People is the cornerstone, one needs to analyse whether any Government which gets its mandate of first past the post really represent the ‘Will of the People ‘ in a true sense. In this context Rule of the Law assumes importance to balance the actions with the mandate of the Constitution which is really the ‘Will of the People’.
Sharing his views on the ongoing debate regarding the Centre v. Judiciary in reference to the Collegium system, he observed that at present, there is no better alternative than existing system, but it is the constitutional principles and morality that needs to reign supreme.
On the appointment of Judges, he felt the merit and integrity of the person is the only component whereas holding objections based on sexual orientations or free speech acts are not a welcome thing.
On a freewheeling interaction with students, the Justice said that it is essential for the collegium to have meaningful consultation in appointment judges though it is not necessary to have a government representative which could lead to unintended complications. He felt that thought the entry level judicial officers get more pay the attraction to civil service is more in terms of the power and mobility wielded by such posts.
Prof. Dr. Uday Shankar, Registrar of HNLU delivered the formal Vote of Thanks.
Ambedkar Memorial Lecture which was instituted in 2022 seeks to honour Dr Ambedkar's intellectual contribution to the world by exploring his ideas and values and bringing together, students, academicians and jurists from various backgrounds to reflect on Dr Ambedkar's scholarship in various fields and its relevance in the present world context. The Inaugural Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture was delivered on January 26th, 2022 on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day by the Governor of Chhattisgarh, SushriAnusuiyaUikey, on “Constitution of India and the vision of Social Democracy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar”. The Governor also virtually unveiled the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Academic Block of the University.
The programme was anchored by Ms. Astuti Dwiwedi and Ms. Dhruvi Agarwal, students of HNLU. The programme was attended by over 400 participants comprising of faculties, students and staff of HNLU and was telecast live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-G_h89eLQU.