Milk Wouldn't Be Poured Into River If People Had Scientific Temper : Justice AS Oka

Justice Oka said that before taking any action, it was necessary to test it based on scientific temper. Justice Oka also noted that even when a person is doing an act in the name of religion, it was important to test it based on scientific temper, and such an analysis would not be against the religion itself.

Pointing to the practice of pouring milk in rivers and taking bath in the rivers, Justice Oka said that if such decisions were tested on the anvil of scientific temper, one would know that pouring milk in the rivers would affect the marine life and would take a long time to recover.

“In the name of religion, we destroy our environment. If I develop a scientific temper, it does not mean I go against a faith or religion. I'll give an example. Take people discharging milk in the rivers. Now, what is scientific temper? Before you take any action, you must test it on the basis of science. If you open Google or any book, it'll tell you that milk can cause enormous harm It can pollute water to a great extend and it will take long time to recover because milk has that quality, it absorbs oxygen. Now, if those people who sit there have had scientific temper, they would not have done it. So when we do something in the name of religion that affects the environment, we need to test what we are proposing to do on the basis of science. Ultimately scientific temper is something that tells us what is wrong and what is right,” Justice Oka said.

Justice Oka was replying to a question put forward by N Ram, Director of The Hindu Group, during a lecture series organised by Rakesh Law Foundation and Roja Muthiah Research Library. The lecture series was part of the annual Rakesh Endowment Lecture Series for Justice and Equity, started in memory of R Rakesh, son of Senior Advocate and Rajya Sabha MP NR Elango. The theme for the lecture series this year was “Environment – Rights or Duties under the Constitution of India”.

When Ram asked the judge to elaborate on the connection between the need to develop a scientific temper and the need to protect the environment, the rights and duties, the judge elaborated on the interplay between scientific temper and the exercise of religious rights.

Justice Oka also pointed out that in our country, it was often the poor who had to take the brunt of pollution, while the urban, who often contributed more towards pollution, continued to live comfortably in the cities. Justice Oka said that the need of the hour was to educate the educated people about the environmental laws and the Constitution.

Justice Oka also said that none of the political parties were seriously taking up the cause of the environment. He added that when we talk of the environment, there were a handful of activists, like MC Mehta, in every state who took up the cause and fought for the preservation of the environment. He also said that these activists boldly point their fingers at those who violate the law relating to the environment, but unfortunately did not get public support.

Justice Oka thus talked about educating people about the laws and taking steps to protect the environment.