In a time when public discourse often feels fragmented, the value of principled debate and the courage to dissent has never been clearer. On 1 September 2025, VMFT will host the 16th K.M. Bashir Memorial Lecture in Thiruvananthapuram, a cornerstone of the K.M. Bashir Birth Centennial Celebrations to explore exactly this.

The lecture will be delivered by Hon’ble Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, whose judgments and writings have shaped the understanding of fundamental rights in India. As Justice Nariman reminds us in Discordant Notes: The Voice of Dissent in the Last Court of Last Resort:

“Although a dissenting judgment does not have binding value, it is still an appeal to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of a future day.”

In today’s charged social and political environment, this idea that disagreement, debate, and reasoned discourse can strengthen democracy is particularly resonant. Justice Nariman’s reflections on the “thread of reasonableness” running through fundamental rights echo the timeless wisdom of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who warned that liberty and equality cannot flourish without fraternity: “Fraternity means a sense of common brotherhood of all Indians, without fraternity, equality and liberty will be no deeper than coats of paint.”

Presiding over the lecture will be Dr. Alexander Jacob, IPS (Retd.), former Director General of Police, Kerala, whose work in reforming prisons and mentoring youth reflects a commitment to human dignity and societal harmony. His perspective promises to make the discussion both practical and deeply insightful.

This lecture is more than an event, it is an invitation to reflect, to engage, and to envision a society where cultural rights, debate, and democratic values strengthen the bonds that unite us.

Let’s explore together how reason, fraternity, and the courage to dissent can shape the future of our democracy.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/jooo8cPgwDfdYKUU8