The reason Prashant Bhaware, a 29-year-old from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, chose to study law was his admiration for the architect of the Indian Constitution and the first law minister of India, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. “The ideal society according to him, which is based on the values of liberty, equality and fraternity, is one for which we have to work and fight,” he says with conviction. It is the progressive nature of the document that speaks to aspiring lawyers like Bhaware the most. “Protection of rights and the welfare of an individual are at the centre of the Constitution. This gives me hope for a better democratic society,” adds the final year student, who also regularly writes on social issues with an Ambedkarite perspective.

On the occasion of 74rd Republic Day, Mid-day Online invited young lawyers to reflect on how the Constitution of India empowers citizens in recognising and fighting for their civil liberties amid conflicting times. They also talked about the ways in which the state has failed to protect constitutional rights in recent years.