The Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud, on Thursday, 17th October, unveiled a new statue of Lady Justice in the Supreme Court Judges Library, one without a blindfold, and with a copy of the Constitution instead of a sword in her hand. The Indian Constitution has become a scarecrow. So carrying the Constitution in one's hand is like carrying a scarecrow.
In my opinion, it would have been better to have replaced the iconic Lady Justice statue with a statue of Kannagi (which also stands on Marina Beach in Chennai), the character in the monumental Tamil work Silappathihaaram of the great poet Ilango, who is the fiery embodiment of righteousness.
This courageous woman dared to challenge the Pandya King's verdict, boldly addressing him as 'தேரா மன்னா' (Oh, indecisive king!)—a monarch whose flawed judgment ( of sentencing her innocent husband Kovan to death ) sealed her husband's fate, and as a reaction made her burn the entire city of Madurai.
Kannagi's unyielding pursuit of justice, her refusal to accept injustice, and her iconic status in Tamil literature make her an apt symbol of justice for our times.
We should swap the statue of the Lady Justice which CJI Chandrachud has installed for that of a statue of Kannagi, whose fiery spirit will send a powerful message that injustice will not be tolerated in India.
Justice Markandey Katju retired from the Supreme Court in 2011.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.