Supreme Court Judge Justice Abhay S. Oka has called for an end to religious rituals during court programs. The judge suggested that instead of pooja and archana, the Constitution of India should be promoted during court events.
Speaking at a foundation laying event for a new court building in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune District, on March 3, the Supreme Court judge emphasized the importance of upholding the Constitution. He advocated for displaying an image of the Preamble of the Constitution and bowing down to it to commence programs.
Justice Abhay S. Oka stated, "Sometimes judges have to address unpleasant issues. I am going to say something a bit unpleasant. I believe we should discontinue pooja-archana during court programs. Instead, we should display an image of the Preamble of the Constitution and pay homage to it to begin a program. As the Constitution reaches 75 years, to preserve its sanctity, we should adopt this new practice."
He highlighted the significance of the words 'secular' and 'democratic' in the preamble, emphasizing the importance of secularism in the Indian Constitution. "The Constitution has now completed 75 years. Dr. Ambedkar has given us an ideal Constitution where secularism is mentioned. While our court system was established by the British, it operates under our Constitution. The courts are established by the Constitution," he added, reported by the Bar and Bench.
Justice Oka recalled his efforts as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to minimize religious rituals and practices within court premises, expressing regret that he couldn't completely eliminate them.
"When I served in Karnataka, I made numerous attempts to reduce such religious ceremonies, but I couldn't completely eradicate them. However, the completion of 75 years presents the best opportunity for us to promote secularism," he stated.