Authoritarianism sets in when society fears questions, says Justice Bhuyan
Supreme Court judge Ujjal Bhuyan emphasised the importance of scientific temperament and public scrutiny to preserve democracy and unity.
Supreme Court judge Ujjal Bhuyan said on Saturday that authoritarianism sets in when a society fears asking questions. Speaking at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya convocation ceremony, he stated that a society treating tradition as beyond scrutiny may fail to reform unjust practices, according to the Times of India.
Justice Bhuyan highlighted Article 51A of the Constitution, which tasks citizens with developing a scientific temperament. He said this temperament is based on reason and requires people to inquire, question, and examine.
The judge noted that scientific temperament lays the foundation for the rule of law, as arbitrary power thrives on ignorance and fear. He added that a society accepting claims without evidence becomes vulnerable to misinformation and superstition.
Quoting Amartya Sen's 'The Idea of Justice', Justice Bhuyan distinguished between institutional and functional democracy. He said functional democracy requires public questioning, scrutiny, and the circulation of information.
He urged people to move away from the 'us' and 'they' binary to embrace a sense of oneness. He stated that the Preamble's expression, 'We, the People of India', represents a shared constitutional unity where individual identities do not diminish the whole.
Justice Bhuyan also said that diversity is not an impediment to the constitutional project but infuses it with meaning. He noted that individual identities do not need to be subsumed in the larger whole.