Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa called upon lawyers to strive to strengthen democracy and uphold the Constitutional values.
Speaking after releasing a souvenir at the valedictory of the Karnataka State-level Advocates’ 10th conference at Dasara Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru on Sunday, August 13, Mr. Mahadevappa, who is also the Minister in charge of Mysuru district, protecting communal harmony, removing untouchability and building a prosperous nation were the primary goals of an independent India.
The Constitution of India, which provides justice and equality to all serves to strengthen the people economically, educationally and socially, he said.
Reminding that judiciary was one of the pillars of the Constitution, Mr. Mahadevappa said the advocates played a very important role in building a Rama Rajya as envisioned during the freedom struggle and in the Constitution.
He pointed out that there are people belonging to various religions in the country and the Constitution provided the liberty to religion. But, political parties exercise extra constitutional authority and impose one’s religion’s practices and views on the people of other faiths, he lamented.
Mr. Mahadevappa said that Mahatma Gandhi equated such imposition of one religion’s practices and views on people of other religions as forcible conversion.
He called upon the gathering to view seriously why political parties play politics in the name of religion. Such form of politics comes in the way of fulfilling the aspirations of the freedom movement and the Constitution, he said.
The reports submitted by the Human Rights Commissions on atrocities on women and exploitation of Dalits make us wonder about the path the country had taken, he lamented. If concerted efforts are not made to remove untouchability, the number of crimes will only increase and pose a threat to the Constitution, he said.
He called upon the lawyers to also take up issues that strengthen agriculture and rural India.
More than 15,000 advocates from different parts of the State had registered for the two day-long State-level advocates’ conference, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, August 12.
The organisers, who had initially planned to hold the conference at Chamundi Vihar Indoor Stadium in Mysuru, had to shift the venue at the eleventh hour in view of the unexpectedly high number of registrations.
The hotels and lodges in Mysuru city had reported a 100 per cent occupancy during the State-level Advocates’ Conference on Saturday and Sunday, which coincided with the extended weekend, starting with the second Saturday on August 12 and ending with Independence Day on August 15.
