Lamenting that the deep inequality, which fractured Indian society at the time of independence, persists even today, Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud exhorted young law graduates to inculcate constitutionalism in the society to make inequality a distant dream of the past.

CJI Chandrachud was speaking as chief guest at the first convocation ceremony of Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU). Justice Sharad Bobde, ex-CJI and the Founder Chancellor of the University, Justice Bhushan Gavai, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Chancellor of the University, Justice Sanjay Gangapurwala, Acting Chief Justice, Bombay High Court and the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof Dr Vijender Kumar Vice-Chancellor of the University were present on the dais. Quoting Shakespeare on the sweet sorrows of parting with their alma mater, Justice Chandrachud encouraged the young graduates to be guided by the constitutional values in the professional life assuring them that “you will not fail.” “As citizens of India and as lawyers, it is our duty to ensure that our fellow citizens are citizens in substance and in the true sense of the word and not merely on paper,” the CJI said.

Asking to ensure social, economic and political justice for all, the CJI said that secure justice for all should be the mission. “Never forget the difference between justice and charity,” he stated and went on differentiating between justice and charity. “Justice is firmly rooted in the conception that all people possess certain inalienable rights. Charity on the other hand is premised on the greatness of the person who is charitable,” the CJI stated.

Justice Chandrachud asked the budding lawyers not to consider their work as charity but consider it as a responsibility for creating an environment in which justice can be dispensed to the citizens. “We sometimes forget that the etymology of word empower is the word power. Charity does not empower communities or redistribute power to create just world,” he said, adding that in contrast, the very purpose of justice is to destroy the very need for charity itself. “Charity is a weak substitute for the full availability and exercise of human rights. Commit yourself to the path of justice. And if you are able to touch even a single soul you will succeed beyond measure,” the CJI claimed. Speaking on the Constitution, the CJI said the success of constitution was generally viewed from two opposite ends of the spectrum. “When the constitution is viewed from the context it emerged from, it is nothing short of remarkable,” he said. The constitution has made tremendous strides towards a more democratic society but much work remains to be accomplished before we can rest, he added.