Referring to the recent Jallikattu agitation in Tamil Nadu, Supreme Court judge Justice J. Chelameswar on Wednesday said the intention of the judgment to prevent cruelty against animals had not reached the masses. Instead of understanding the spirit of the verdict, people agitated and the issue snowballed into widespread protests in which voices were heard against the Supreme Court itself.
Justice Chelameswar, who chaired the M.N. Roy Memorial Lecture on “Free Speech, Nationalism and Sedition,” organised by the Indian Renaissance Institute, said there was need to create awareness.
Stating that the “English- knowing gentlemen” of the country had become progressively intolerant, he said if they were unable to convince a common man about what is wrong and what is right, the core issues of Indian society could not be resolved.
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Stating that Indian society had become more intolerant and less rational, he said there was a huge disconnect between urban and rural India with respect to the perception of rights and liberties.