Mutual fraternity is necessary to maintain equality in the country, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said on Saturday.

Speaking at the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign at Maharaja Ganga Singh University in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district, the CJI asked how will the country progress if people fight with each other. “We should have respect for each other in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.

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The year-long ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign, across the nation, was inaugurated by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on January 24 to mark the 75th year of India as a Republic. It aims to reaffirm the country’s collective commitment to the principles enshrined in the Constitution and celebrate the shared values that bind the nation.

Addressing the state-level event in Bikaner, CJI Chandrachud said “human dignity was of supreme importance in the minds of the makers of our Constitution”. “Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, as chairman of the Drafting Committee, ensured that the Constitution promoted the values of justice, liberty and equality as well as the spirit of fraternity and dignity of the individual,” he said.

The CJI said “mutual brotherhood is necessary to maintain equality in the country”. “How will the country progress if people fight each other? Therefore, when we say ‘Our Constitution, Our Honour’, we also have to emphasise that we should also promote fraternity and brotherhood in the country. Imbibe these feelings in your personal life,” he said.

The CJI said that the Constitution of India is a document that determines the values on which the country will operate. It outlines the government’s duties and provides a framework for governance, he said.

He added that the Constitution not only protects the rights of the people but also shows the path towards their responsibilities.

Besides speaking about the Constitution, CJI Chandrachud said many efforts are being made to improve the condition of district courts. “We want to sensitise the district courts because this is the first step towards justice. We are making many efforts to improve the condition of the district courts and to transform their buildings to suit the modern era,” he said.

Highlighting the technological advancements over the years, the CJI said the potential of technology is also being used to spread legal awareness and legal services.

“The Supreme Court of the country has worked to enhance its capacity through technology,” he said.

Technical innovations in the judicial system have enabled women practitioners to perform more effectively in this field, he added.

The CJI said that hearing through video conferences began a few years ago and many lawyers attend hearings and argue through the online mode. He said the judgments are translated through technology and it is his endeavour to make the verdicts available in more regional languages.

CJI Chandrachud said the ‘Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman’ campaign will be held throughout the year with an aim to reach approximately 664,369 villages. “Our mission will remain incomplete if the essence of the Constitution does not reach these villages,” he said.

Union minister of state for law Arjun Ram Meghwal, who attended the event, also addressed the gathering. He said that Bikaner, as an erstwhile princely state, had played a significant role in drafting the Constitution.

“The scholars who were assigned to prepare the draft were hosted by a family in Bikaner and were provided every possible facility to fulfill their task peacefully,” he said.

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At the event, Both CJI Chandrachud and Meghwal also launched a Nyaya Sahayak scheme, in 500 aspirational blocks in the country, under which volunteers would hold a door-to-door campaign on legal services.

“The Nyaya Sahayaks would be responsible for conducting and ensuring door-to-door campaign and delivery of legal services where they will facilitate case registrations, provide pre-litigation advice and ensure legal awareness and legal literacy through a ‘Vidhi Baithak’ in villages or blocks with the support of a block level officer,” Meghwal said.

Rajasthan high court chief justice M M Shrivastava, state law minister Jogaram Pate and Maharaja Ganga Singh University vice-chancellor Manoj Dixit also attended the event.

(With PTI inputs)