BHUBANESWAR : Democratic values of our country must be protected and more so in the time of adversity, opined Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Monday.
Addressing the 92nd birth anniversary celebration of former minister Harischandra Baxipatra, the Governor said life of the socialist leader offers many profound lessons. “His journey from the student movement to various political platforms teaches us that leadership is not defined by the offices held but by values upheld,” he said.
Kambhampati further said that during the darkest phases of India’s democracy, the national emergency when fundamental freedoms were challenged, Baxipatra chose to endure imprisonment rather than compromising his conviction.
“I too as a young man, inspired by the call of Jayaprakash Narayan, actively took part in the JP movement and was arrested under the MISA Act spending six months in jail. This shared history reminds us that the democratic values must be protected not only in moments of comfort but especially in the moments of adversity,” he said.
Senior advocate and former Supreme Court Bar Association president Dushyant Dave, who delivered the Harischandra Baxipatra memorial lecture, on the occasion, called upon all to set aside their ideological and philosophical difference and work together to take this country forward. “This is something which is very important for us to understand,” he said.
Dave also said that wide gap between the rich and the poor in this country, which is nearly impossible to be bridged, shows that socialism which was the idea the Constitution-framers had during its drafting, is not working well. Dave, on the occasion, also said that justice is gradually disappearing in the country.
“Justice is very difficult to get in our legal system today. I respect judiciary but having practiced for 48 years, I can definitely say with confidence that judiciary in India has failed miserably and I don’t see any hope for this judiciary to stand up and really deliver justice as people need. The rich and powerful have hijacked the judicial system. They alone can get justice today in our courts. This is a very serious challenge India is facing,” he said.
The veteran advocate also called upon lawyers to lead in country’s development and progress. Senior journalist Priya Ranjan Sahu and environmentalist Prafulla Samantara were felicitated with Harischandra Baxipatra Smaraki during the event. A book in the memory of Baxipatra was also unveiled.
Former minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadai, noted writer Prof Dash Benhur and Harischandra Baxipatra Smruti Committee general secretary Lopamudra Baxipatra also spoke.