On Monday, Justice Surya Kant, a justice on the Supreme Court, lauded India for its choice to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to several nations where they were not easily accessible and for its display of unity and generosity.
“I believe the principle of Constitutional morality will be guided by centuries-old morals which have steered our society from darkness to light. The latest example is the decision made during COVID to share our vaccine with the rest of the world. This was important to vaccinate people in poorer regions of the world where vaccines were not readily available. This was not just a governmental decision but shows solidarity and sharing,” Justice Kant said. He added, “When we think of Constitutional morality, we need to think of the common good but it does not mean it is subservient to societal norms or customs.”
According to Justice Kant, the fundamental moral principles that have led our civilization from darkness to light will serve as the foundation for constitutional morality. At the 16th National Conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad in Kurukshetra, Haryana, he delivered the keynote address on the subject of “75 years of Resurgent Bharat: Changing contours of law and justice.”
According to Justice Kant, in the years to come, we must work to define obligations and make sure that they are complimentary to rights. The moment has come for us to make rights and obligations complementary to one another, he said, adding that we must find new types of duties in the coming 75 years and be honest with those duties.
“I must commend legislative activism also. Legislature has done a lot to safeguard the rights of specially-abled, senior citizens, transgenders, the downtrodden etc. The aim is to create a simple system for the forward progress of the society,” he said.