Justice Abhay Oka, Supreme Court judge addressing an event in Pune urged people to stop religious rituals during court programs and instead start official court events by bowing down or showing respect to either the preamble or the Constitution. He was speaking at the foundation laying event of the new court complex in Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune.
Speaking at the event, he remarked that this year on November 26, the country will complete 75 years of adopting the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He noted that the Constitution has two important words in the Preamble, one is secular and second is democracy, adding that he has always believed the core of the judicial system is the Constitution.
Expressing that he might be saying something unpleasant, Justice Abhay Oka urged people to stop doing rituals like poojas, archanas or lighting lamps during official judicial events. He added that instead, people should keep an image of the Preamble of the Constitution and bow down to it to commence a program.
He mentioned that as the Constitution completes 75 years, to maintain its dignity, people should start this new practice. He further underlined that while the court system may have been created by the British, it was run by the Constitution. Justice Oka further recalled that he tried to but couldn’t completely stop religious practices when he was the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
The Supreme Court judge also highlighted the need for rain water harvesting in new court buildings. He stated that the water can be used for clean drinking water, especially in mega cities. He stated that borewells should be prepared and used for keeping the court premises clean and for watering the plants, adding that they need to think of the environment.
Mentioning that courts are called the temples of justice and that it is a matter of debate, Justice Abhay Oka said that courts don’t belong to anyone. The court follows the religion of law and humanity, he continued. The Supreme Court judge further asserted that they should keep courts pious, not in the religious way but it needs to be kept clean.
Justice Abhay Oka concluded that new court buildings were not just about good exteriors but also spaces where quality justice is done.