AUTHORITARIANISM

Dhananjay Nahapatra reports Justice Ujjal Bhuyan's speech at the convocation ceremony of of University of Science and technology, Meghalaya in The Times of India of 1st November 2026        

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan

"Authoritarianism sets in when society fears questions.

A society that fears questions becomes vulnerable to authoritarianism.

A society that treats tradition as beyond scrutiny may fail to reform unjust practices.

Article 51A of the Constitution of India  does not merely ask us to acquire scientific knowledge. 

It asks us to cultivate a temperament which is based on reason. It tells us to question, to examine and where necessary, to reform.

I believe, scientific temperament lays the foundation for the rule of law. This is because arbitrary power thrives on ignorance, fear and unexamined belief. A society that accepts claims without evidence is susceptible to superstitious beliefs and becomes vulnerable to misinformation.

Willingness to  reason together through a meaningful debate alone can make a society stronger.

Circulation of information and scrutiny by public reasoning becomes part of the due process by which democratic society resonates with justice.

For a more just and humane society, it is important that we move away from the destructive binary of 'us' and 'they' and embrace the idea of oneness. 

Not for nothing, the Preamble  to the Constitution of India starts with the expression - 'We, the People of India'. The Constitution speaks to all citizens of India as equal members of the constitutional order. Therefore, "we' represents a larger idea of belonging in which our individual identities  or group  identities do not diminish our shared constitutional unity."

Though Justice Bhuyan's exhortation is  to the citizens of India as a whole, it is hoped the leaders of a Church based in South India and its members would thoroughly imbibe its spirit. For the Church has been embroiled in controversies and litigation for more than a decade.