Democracy is in danger because we have forgotten Mahatma: J Chelameshwar

The democracy of India is in danger only because its citizens and politicians have forgotten the father of our nation – Mahatma Gandhi, said Justice (retd.) Jasti Chelameshwar on Friday. The former judge of the Supreme Court said if citizens continue to remain silent then central institutions would be under threat and lose their independence, which will endanger our democracy.

“We have forgotten the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi and that is why we are facing issues like the present bitter battle between the top CBI officials, the conflict between the Reserve Bank of India and the union government,” Justice Chelameshwar said.

Referring to the appointment of a former Chief Justice of India (CJI) as a Governor, Justice Chelameshwar said, “Why did the civil society not protest this recruitment? It would have least become a deterrent factor. Why civil society is keeping silence?”

“Democracy would not be a democracy if wise people remain silent. When institutions which are supposed to be safeguarding the democracy are flattering the government, isn’t the democracy in danger?” Justice Chelameshwar remarked.

The judge, who briefed the media in an unprecedented press conference in January

People in power rarely like criticism. Nowadays, the moment someone criticises this government, s/he is labelled as an anti-national or some agent from Pakistan

against the then CJI Dipak Misra, was speaking at an event organised by the All India Professionals’ Congress, in Mumbai. He discussed various issues regarding ‘democracy in danger.’

“If we keep silent then institutions will be under threat take the example of the recent controversy of the RBI or even the fight amongst the CBI brass. All this is bound to happen if we the people, do not take care of such situations,” Justice Chelameshwar told an audience full of youngsters.

Without naming the present BJP-led government in the centre, Justice Chelameshwar said, “People in power rarely like criticism. Nowadays, the moment someone criticises this government, s/he is labelled as an anti-national or some agent from Pakistan.”

While referring to the unprecedented press conference, called by Justice Chelameshwar along with Justice Ranjan Gogoi (the present CJI) and two other top judges of the SC, he claimed they had no ‘choice’ but to approach the press.

“The conference was not triggered by a single incident rather it was a culmination of a series of events starting right from November 2017. I personally tried to convince the then CJI (Dipak Misra) that several things which were not conducive of democratic principles of this country were going on in the top court,” Justice Chelameshwar said. According to Justice Chelameshwar, some ‘manipulation’ was going on in the top court as cases assigned to him and other judges were being withdrawn overnight that too without any specific reasons. “We only need a fair and transparent administration and the Supreme Court cannot be an exception to nontransparency. They (CJI) must give reasons at least on the administrative side. We thus, felt that the people of this country must be informed that things are not going well in their highest court,” Justice Chelameshwar said.

Justice Chelameshwar now opines that their press conference has yielded ‘some results’ at least after Justice Gogoi assumed the office of CJI.

“Some judges are remembered for all wrong reasons but I want to be remembered as a good judge and not a bad one,” Justice Chelameshwar concluded.