"Not morality, but commerce": Former CJI Chandrachud slams rise of "Transactional Ethics" in global politics

New Delhi [India], April 25 : Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday warned that the world is increasingly being driven by "transactional ethics", where principles are traded for benefits.

Speaking at the 32nd memorial lecture of Lal Bahadur Shastri, he pointed to how global conflicts, from the Gulf region to the Strait of Hormuz, are influencing everything from energy markets to elections, including in the United States.

"War, as recently as in the Gulf, tells us that what happens in the Strait of Hormuz can have a possible impact not only on energy markets in India and Indonesia, but on elections in November in the US. That's the impact of this global interconnection which we all share. It signals a world adjusting its expectations downward, learning to proceed with greater caution in an uncertain terrain...We have built a civilisation of transactional ethics. What are the tariffs? The tariffs are all about transactional ethics. You stop buying Russian oil, and I'll reduce your tariffs. You do this, and I'll impose a 100 % tariffs. What are tariffs? Tariffs are part of the new transactional ethics game. So we have built a civilisation of transactional ethics," Chandrachud said.

Contrasting this trend with Shastri's legacy of selfless integrity, the former CJI called for a return to true morality, urging individuals and nations to uphold values even when it comes at a cost.

"If each of us as citizens says that I will be honest if honesty pays, I will follow the law if I am being watched, I will be just if justice benefits me, then that's not morality. That is commerce. Shastri ji resigned from power without being asked, without reward, without political gain. His life casts on us the duty to act rightly, even when it costs you everything," DY Chandrachud asserted.

Recalling Shastri's leadership during a challenging period in India's history, he said he was deeply impressed by his conduct and vision.

"I remember being very deeply impressed by the way he conducted himself and above all by the slogan which he coined from the bottom of his heart, which was 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'," he said.

He noted that Shastri assumed leadership during extremely difficult circumstances for the country and laid the foundation for ethical governance through his example and conduct.

"Those were very difficult times for India when he took over. We had the 1965 war, and we were facing a very severe depletion of food stocks in those days. He laid the foundation for ethical leadership. He was a beacon not merely for India but for global humanity," he said.

The former CJI added that Shastri's legacy continues to inspire every generation.

"Every generation has been deeply inspired by the work, by the life of Lal Bahadur Shastri," he said.

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