Day 2 @ Udyam 2011 began with the keynote address by Hon. Justice C Joseph, Supreme Court of India.
Excerpts from Hon. Justice Joseph’s address is shared below
“Distinguished panellists, members of the faculty, my dear students and other participants, a very sensitive and controversial subject you have chosen. Being a sitting judge of the supreme court I have my limitations to express my views on matters that would come for consideration in court. Bearing in mind of my limitations I would share my views today.
This is a leadership summit; I believe that those who are invited to share their views here are perceived to be leaders in the society. I have also noticed that those who are invited are not in politics. It is heartening to know that there are people who realize that leaders are not confined to the politics but also outside that realm. Leadership can’t be restricted to politics. Unfortunately in our country, leadership takes the hues of being part of politics
I am happy that you have taken a wider perception of leadership. In our society there are too many leaders, but there are very few good leaders.
It is possible to go to internet and view the readings of the great men who have defined leadership, but I always felt that what my teacher in primary school told me still holds good and I have not come across a better learning during these 65 years.
My teacher told me that a good leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way.
We have many leaders who do not know anything, still there are many people who know nothing but show the way and go the way. It is this conflict between precept and practice that baffles the society”
Hon. Justice Joseph went on to share a story from his hometown about an Anti-Liquor Rally that was organized by Gandhi Peace organization, which got disrupted because one person who is notorious for his alcoholism came in front of the anti-liquor rally and demolished the very credibility of the rally by his act. He drew parallels from this story with the society of today, as the people who jump on the bandwagon of corruption today also do not have the same level of credibility to lead such a rally against corruption.
Any number of laws, judges, policemen and punishment would not eradicate corruption, if that would have been possible it would have been eradicated. People are so ingenious that they find a way to get out of law as soon as a new law is created. What is required is a change of heart as far as every individual is concerned which can only be achieved if there is a commitment to justice.
Justice Joseph eloquently described justice as follows
“Justice implies that everyone gets what he needs and none takes more than what he deserves. You deserve something as the outcome of what you have put in, no one should take more than what he deserves .In a just society it is not enough to live and let live, but we must try to live and help live others”
He further mentioned that justice demands concerns and compassion for others. If one helps to identify the just society in this way, it would help each one of us tackle the problem of corruption. Most often one indulges in corruption by choice, he has the other option of choosing opportunity and freedom to desist from being corrupt but for his own reasons he makes a choice to be corrupt.
From his experiences he had come to realize that even though corruption is all pervasive in India, we shall not ignore the positive aspects of our society and Justice Joseph urged the audience to think about the positives of our society as well, which often get overlooked and forgotten, and the negative side is exaggerated.
Justice Joseph said that there are many honest politicians, bureaucrats, social workers and businessmen who have been aiding in the development of India over the last 6 decades and we should not ignore or forget them in our anxiety to condemn what is wrong in the society.
Our focus should be to become prophets of hope rather than prophets of doom.
Finally Hon. Justice Joseph closed this extremely motivating and thought provoking keynote address by congratulating IIM Lucknow for organizing this discussion and hoped that it motivates us to play a more active role in eradicating corruption.
-By Saurabh
Event and Media Committee
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