Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Oka has urged people to stop religious rituals during court programmes and instead start official court events by bowing down or showing respect to either the preamble or the Constitution.
Speaking at a foundation stone-laying event for a new court complex in Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune, Justic Oka said on November 26, 2024, the country will complete 75 years of adopting the Constitution given by Dr BR Ambedkar. He noted that the Constitution has two important words in the Preamble, one is secular and the other is democracy, adding that he has always believed the core of the judicial system is the Constitution.
Anticipating that he might be saying something unpleasant, Justice Oka urged people to stop doing rituals like pujas, 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 programme.
He mentioned that as the Constitution completes 75 years, to maintain its dignity, people should start this new practice. He underlined that while the court system may have been created by the British, it was run by the Constitution. Justice Oka recalled that he tried to but couldn’t completely stop religious practices when he was 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 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 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 Oka concluded that new court buildings were not just about good exteriors but also spaces where quality justice is done.