Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh ji,
Shri Veerappa Moily,
Dr. Abhishek Singhvi,
Distinguished guests,
Friends,
It gives me great pleasure to be present here today at
the inaugural session of this National Convention on
Law, Justice and the Common Man. As our Constitution has
so powerfully demonstrated, the law can be a peaceful
instrument of fundamental socio-economic transformation.
We are a democracy firmly wedded to the Rule of Law
largely because we believe, that it is only through the
law that we can ensure equity for all. Inclusive growth
is the cornerstone of our economic policy and one of the
essential underpinnings of this endeavour, is a legal
infrastructure which ensures-that every citizen derives
full benefit from the process of economic growth.
It is therefore the responsibility of every government
to ensure that their legislative agenda has at its core,
a genuine concern for the well being of the common man,
that it is reflective of their hopes and their
aspirations.
In keeping with this determination and the commitment we
made in our Party Menifesto, in the course of UPA-I
under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh ji, we brought in a wave of unprecedented
legislative reforms that was directed at empowering and
improving the lot of the common man. Among others, these
initiatives ensured and secured for the ‘aam aadmi’ the
right to information and the right to work. The success
of these measures brought about far reaching changes
that were felt across the country. For the first time,
citizens had the power to hold their elected
representatives and their civil servants accountable.
For the first time, there was a guarantee of 100 days’
manual work to anyone who demanded it in all districts
of the country.
The UPA-I also ushered in a new age of protection for
the rights of women and children. The Domestic Violence
Bill became a reality, ensuring legal protection for
women against domestic abuse. Equal rights of
inheritance were also secured for Hindu Women. To give
special attention to the rights of children, we passed
the ‘Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act,
2005’ under which the National Commission for Protection
of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in March 2007. This
Commission was charged with the singular responsibility
of making sure that the rights of children under
existing administrative policies and programmes were
enforced effectively.
To protect the unorganised sector workers we passed the
‘Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act 2008. This
seminal legislation seeks to safeguard working
conditions and introduce a national social security
scheme for the benefit of the 94% men and women working
in this sector. It was the first time in sixty years
that such legislation had been enacted.
Under UPA-II we have continued this trend. We have
pursued and obtained the right to elementary education
for our children:
A right which shall become a reality, in a few days, on
the 1st of April. Through this historic law all children
will have access to free and compulsory elementary
education. No child will be held back, expelled, or
required to pass a board examination until the
completion of elementary education.
In furtherance of our sustained commitment to improve
the status of the Indian woman, we have legislated 50%
reservation for women in local bodies the panchayats.
Above all, we have remained true to Rajivji’s vision and
our campaign promise, and have passed the Women’s
Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. It now awaits the
approval of the Lok Sabha.
In a farsighted move, one that will benefit both present
and future generations, Parliament is also currently
debating legislation that will give our citizens the
right to a safe and healthy environment through the
agency of a National Green Tribunal.
Most importantly we are committed to the passage of a
Right to Food Security law. This will mark yet another
achievement in our continuing battle against chronic
starvation and malnutrition.
It has always been our persistent belief that Justice
should be speedy, effective and affordable. The Grăm
Nyayalay Act is yet another milestone legislation that
seeks to give life to this aspiration. These Grăm
Nyayalayas are aimed at providing inexpensive justice to
people in rural areas at their doorsteps. More than 5000
of them are expected to be set up under the Act, for
which the Central Government will provide about Rs.1400
crores to the concerned States/Union Territories. These
courts will also ensure the reduction of arrears. More
than 2.5 crore cases are pending across various levels
of our judiciary.
It is our hope and belief that this measure will usher
in a revolution in the handling and disposing of cases
while at the same time bringing meaningful justice to
the ‘aam aadmi’.
Friends, through these legislative reforms we have
sought to put pressure on the Executive to ensure
greater accountability to the people. We do not believe
in empty and hollow promises. We have taken action to
make Government more transparent and more efficient. We
have worked to ensure that the fundamental rights
promised under our Constitution become a reality.
However, all of these laws are little more than words on
paper if they are not enforced. As lawyers you are, of
course, the practitioners and interpreters of these
laws, but beyond that, you must ensure that society is
made aware of its rights and duties.
This is not a small task. Ignorance of the law is
widespread. You, as lawyers, must work towards educating
and empowering our people.
Lawyers have always been at the forefront of public
debate and public action. Our freedom movement saw the
participation of some of the finest legal luminaries we
have known. Over the decades, your fraternity has played
a crucial role in the process of nation building and I
have no doubt that it will continue to do so in the
future.
I congratulate Dr. Singhvi and the AICC Legal and Human
Rights Department for taking this initiative. I am sure
that it will mark the beginning of a fruitful
partnership between the Congress party and the larger
legal community.
I wish you all success.
Jai Hind!
