Social media has made us increasingly intolerant of opposing views: Ex-CJI Chandrachud
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on “75 Years of the Indian Constitution
“Indian democracy draws its strength from Maharashtra’s rich legacy of social reformers. Pune is not merely an academic hub but has been the heart of social and cultural reform movements. Values like justice, equality, and liberty were sown here, which later became the foundation of our Constitution,” former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on “75 Years of the Indian Constitution: The Journey Towards Delivering Justice” at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), organised as part of the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations of the Constitution.
Highlighting the contributions of Maharashtra’s reformers, Chandrachud traced the journey from the 13th-century saints of the Warkari tradition, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev, and Sant Eknath, to later stalwarts like Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, and Dhondo Keshav Karve. He noted how Shahu Maharaj opened educational opportunities for marginalised communities, the Phule couple pioneered social justice through education, Savitribai Phule became the country’s first female teacher, Ramabai championed women’s rights, and Karve established India’s first women’s university.
“These movements are reflected in the constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity,” he said.
Calling the Indian Constitution “a living testament of people’s experiences and social transformation,” he added, “B R Ambedkar’s Constitution is not just a written document. While some of our neighbouring countries face democratic backsliding, India’s democracy will endure because it is rooted in robust values and the strong foundations of the Constitution.”
On the judiciary’s role, Chandrachud said, “The judiciary performs functions as crucial as the legislature. Technology has played a vital role in making justice accessible, but the ethical use of technology is equally important. Through several landmark judgments, the Supreme Court has shown how it ensures justice for ordinary citizens while carrying forward the tradition of law.”
Citing one such case, he recalled, “Before I retired, I delivered the verdict in Sukanya Shanta vs Union of India, which dealt with caste- and class-based segregation in prisons. Under the prison manual, certain communities were compelled to do menial jobs such as cooking, cleaning toilets, cutting hair, and even manual scavenging—despite these practices being outlawed. The Court categorically struck down these discriminatory practices.”
He stressed that while artificial intelligence is transforming society, “AI can never deliver justice in individual cases—that remains the exclusive responsibility of the human mind.”
Warning of contemporary challenges, he said, “Freedom of speech is guaranteed by our Constitution, but technology and social media have made us increasingly intolerant of viewpoints different from our own. Algorithms only show us what we want to see and hear, fostering hate. Social media creates an illusion where violence, whether killing or hatred, appears virtual, but in reality, all violence is real, as seen in Russia and Ukraine. Violent movements are also unfolding in neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh.”
“What has given India its source of stability are our family values and participatory democracy, but above all, the Constitution. It is our stabilising force, a living document. The Constitution derives meaning from our lives—and we must live by it,” he concluded.
Delivering the presidential address, SPPU Vice-Chancellor Prof Suresh Gosavi said the university’s shift in the NIRF rankings this year, from single digits to double digits, was due to altered evaluation parameters, not declining academic standards. “There is no cause for concern, as SPPU continues to uphold its academic excellence and research strength. We are also taking steps to expand globally, with plans to set up campuses in Dubai, the UK, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. On the social front, Yerwada Jail has requested the university to provide higher education opportunities for inmates, and we will soon start law programs for them,” he said.
“Celebrating 75 years of the Constitution is not just a historic milestone but also an opportunity to honour its core values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. The Constitution is not merely a document of the past but a living promise for the nation’s brighter future,” Gosavi added.
The seminar was organised by SPPU’s Department of Law under the guidance of a committee chaired by Management council member Ravindra Shinganapurkar. It saw enthusiastic participation from legal professionals, professors, researchers, students, and scholars of constitutional studies across the country.
