Threat to institutions constant under majoritarian rule: Balakrishnan

Hyderabad, Jan 11 (IANS) Former Chief Justice of India K. G. Balakrishnan on Thursday said there will be constant threat to constitutional institutions in majoritarian rule and called upon people to protect the Constitution and democracy.

Underlining the need to protect constitutional morality of the people, he also cautioned against a system in which ruling majority lays infallibility for itself.

"We should not only protect our Constitution, our democracy forever but also guard against the temptation to transform itself into a system under which ruling majority lays infallibility for itself," he said while speaking at a seminar on 'Ambedkar and constitutionalism' at Osmania University here.

"All over the world, leaders are making statements. They feel infallible. When majority feels infallible, then it is very difficult," he said.

Balakrishnan observed that the principle of constitution is a legal principle which requires control over exercise of governmental power to ensure it does not destroy the democratic principle on which it is based.

The former CJI said India had got a beautiful Constitution drafted carefully by B.R. Ambedkar for which the nation would ever remain grateful to him. He said the basic principles of the Constitution including supremacy of constitution, rule of law, federalism, secularism, fundamental rights, principle of equality, concept of social justice, separation of powers and independent judiciary should be protected.

"We should not only give powers to democratic institutions but should be capable of empowering the common man to protect them," he said.

Stating that constitutions in many neighboring countries withered away, he said the Indian Constitution survived for 67 years because basic principles of constitution are deeply embedded.

R. Venkat Rao, Vice Chancellor, National Law School of India University, mooted the idea that recitation of preamble of the constitution be made compulsory in all schools for students from class 6 onwards.

He said the preamble should be made compulsory like national anthem and this would be the best tribute to Ambedkar, the architect of the constitution.