Fraternity is root of democracy, says former CJI D Y Chandrachud

Kochi: Fraternity is not just a word in the Constitution but represents a political movement for freedom across the globe and is the root of democracy, former Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud said on Friday.

Delivering the Constitution Day Law Lecture on the topic ‘Fraternity under the Constitution- Our Quest for an Inclusive Society’, organised by the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association in Kochi, he emphasised that fraternity holds a profound significance that upholds the dignity of every citizen.

Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, reminded us that fraternity is the root of democracy, he added.

"It is not merely a word in the Preamble of our Constitution but represents a political movement for freedom in other parts of the world," he said.

Justice Chandrachud described fraternity as an appeal rooted in love and compassion—an ideal we cherish but often struggle to uphold inclusively in real life.

He referred the Supreme Court order declaring illegal and unconstitutional the deployment of uneducated youths with arms against the Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh in 2011, citing the act of deploying armed men against an armed force as anti-fraternal.

He underscored that fraternity is the value that defines whether we will exist together or destruct in silos of our own creation.

"We are bound together to build a global humanity," he asserted, warning of the dangers that loom over human existence.

Highlighting the pressing issues of climate change, carbon emissions, rising global temperatures, and environmental degradation, Justice Chandrachud said these are not matters which we can ignore, as they affect each of us and the community here in India and outside.

“Our coastal communities, our agricultural communities, sources of food, water, air and survival are at stake," he cautioned.

In the sense of fraternity, the dialogues in court have also importance as they represent rationalism, tolerance, and inclusiveness, he stated.

The former Chief Justice of India also noted that India is reaping its demographic dividends. “It means our working-age population is larger than the non-working-age population.

"This trend began in 2006 and is expected to continue until 2055 to 2056, larger than any other country in the world”.

By 2030, we would add 800 million people to the workforce; that is, by the next decade, we are expected to contribute 24.3 percent of the global workforce, he added.

However, Chandrachud cited that there are fault lines, as only 24 percent of women participate in the workforce today.

The meeting was presided over by Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar.