Disagreement should not turn to hatred and violence: CJI Chandrachud
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New Delhi: Calling for respecting ‘divergent views’ Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday said that ‘disagreements’ must not turn into hatred, adding that ‘hatred must not be permitted to evolve into violence’.
Chief Justice was speaking at the 16th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards when he touched on difficulties journalists across the world face, saying that many journalists in India and abroad ‘work in difficult and unfriendly conditions’.
“But they are relentless in the face of adversity and opposition. It is precisely this quality which must not be lost”, The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
Chandrachud reportedly said that citizens cannot often agree with the conclusions that journalists reach, however ‘disagreement must not distort into hatred’, and adding that ‘After all, who amongst us agrees with all other people?’
Terming media as the integral part of democracy he said that it is the fourth pillar of the state, and that healthy democracy has to encourage journalism as an institution to ask difficult questions to the establishment.
Talking about responsible journalism he said it is more important than ever for journalists to maintain accuracy, impartiality, and responsibility in reporting as journalism is the engine that drives democracy forward.
Chief Justice further added that journalism can ‘prod us out of the collective inertia’ as societies become lethargic and immune to problems that disturb them.