Srinagar, Oct 2: Speaking at the gathering of lawyers organised by the Save Democracy Foundation, noted Senior Advocate and bar leader Ashok Bhan said that Gandhi Ji’s message has a special resonance for the legal profession.
The lawyer’s first allegiance is to truth, justice and the rule of law. Gandhi Ji demonstrated through his own life that law and justice acquire meaning only when they protect human dignity and restrain the abuse of power. At a time when the foundations of the newly independent nation were being tested, he stood for tolerance, constitutional morality, freedom of conscience and peaceful coexistence.
Referring to Gandhi Ji’s historic visit to Kashmir, Ashok Bhan said that the Mahatma saw Kashmir not merely as a territorial question but as a civilisational space where different communities had lived together for centuries.
His presence in the Valley during those turbulent days was a message that Kashmir’s tradition of pluralism and harmony must survive the violence and bitterness unleashed by Partition. “For us in the legal fraternity, Gandhi Ji’s Kashmir visit is a continuing reminder that democracy is ultimately tested not in times of comfort, but in times of crisis—when we must have the courage to defend truth, liberty, equality and the dignity of every citizen.”
When a nation is passing through a crisis, history does not always look to those who wield power; it looks to those who possess moral authority. In January 1948, when Kashmir stood at a critical crossroads and the wounds of Partition were still fresh, Mahatma Gandhi came to the Valley.
He came without the authority of the State, without an army and without any instrument of coercion. He came with something far more powerful—the authority of truth, conscience and an unwavering faith in the unity of human beings.
His presence in Kashmir was, therefore, not merely a visit; it was a moral statement and giving Kashmir a strong message its future lies safe and prosperous with Secular republic of India -Bharat that holds true also currently for Kashmir imbroglio.
Ashok Bhan said that remembering Gandhi Ji must go beyond ceremonies and commemorations. “The real tribute to Gandhi Ji is to preserve the values for which he lived and died—truth without fear, non-violence without weakness, justice without discrimination and democracy without intolerance.”
He urged the legal community to remain vigilant in protecting constitutional institutions, civil liberties and the rule of law, because, he said, “when the rule of law is strong, democracy has a conscience; when the rule of law is weakened, democracy itself becomes vulnerable.”
