Date:03/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/03/stories/2005010313360500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

`Manusmriti still relevant'

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN. 2. The former Bihar Governor, M. Ramajois, said here on Sunday that despite the propaganda against it, the Manusmriti remained a source of eternal values for humanity.

At a popular lecture on the role of professionals in enforcement of contractual obligations in the construction industry, Justice Ramajois said the good points in this ancient law text must be taken and the irrelevant and unsuitable ones discarded. He opined that Manusmriti elaborated on the "right to happiness" which contained within its ambit all other rights developed by western jurisprudence.

Manusmriti spoke of contentment as the root of happiness but enjoined that pursuit of wealth and fulfilment of desires should only be within the ambit of `Dharma'. He warned against the present trend of professional competence without ethics and argued that this was the cause of much social malaise.

Book released

Earlier, K. Rama Swamy, former Supreme Court judge, released a book, "Ancient Indian Law: Eternal Values in Manusmriti". In his address he said some of the ideas presented in this ancient book are relevant even under the present Constitution and urged upon people to study and understand this.

The function was organised jointly by the Institution of Engineers and the Bharat Vikas Parishad.