Marginalised communities holding highest offices in India, says CJI
Marginalised communities holding highest offices in India, says CJI
M.U.H
07/06/202518
The representatives of marginalised communities are today holding some of the highest constitutional offices in India in keeping with Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision of “equality, liberty, justice and fraternity” for all, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has said.
Delivering a special lecture to commemorate 75 years of the Indian Constitution on Thursday evening at the historic Gray’s Inn in London, where Ambedkar received his qualification as a barrister in England over a century ago, Gavai highlighted the enduring legacy of the social justice reformer as the chief architect of the Constitution.
Gavai said it was an “incredibly emotional moment” for him to reflect upon the legacy of one of the greatest legal minds in modern history who also had a profound impact on his own career path.
As someone who shares the same Dalit social background as Ambedkar, the CJI pointed to some of the highest constitutional offices in the country today being occupied by representatives of marginalised communities in keeping with Baba Saheb’s vision of “equality, liberty, justice and fraternity” for all sections of Indian society.
“Standing here at this historic institution, I am reminded of the enduring legacy Dr B R Ambedkar left behind, not only in the legal field but in the very fabric of Indian democracy,” Gavai said.
“I was born in 1960, almost four years after Dr Ambedkar left us; I was born as a citizen of India and not as an untouchable. Dr Ambedkar’s presence was always felt in my home, from a young age I would hear stories of his courage, his intellect, his relentless pursuit of equality. Those stories became a part of my values, my outlook and my purpose,” he said.
“Dr Ambedkar’s vision for society where every citizen enjoys the full benefit of constitutional protection has been steadily realised through the judiciary, legislation and executive action…” he said.
“It is a matter of pride that the country in the last 75 years has witnessed two woman Presidents and now we have a woman President (Droupadi Murmu) who also represents the most marginalised sections of the society of the
tribal area,” he noted.
“And, I take pride in saying that India has a Chief Justice who comes from marginalised sections, humble background,” he said. In his address on the topic of ‘The Living Document: 75 Years of the Constitution of India, and the Enduring Relevance of Dr Ambedkar’, the CJI went on to spotlight some of the forward-thinking aspects enshrined in the Constitution of India, including Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, for a “just and inclusive society”.
“As we mark 75 years of this remarkable living and dynamic document, I can confidently affirm that it is the foresight and vision of Dr B R Ambedkar that has enabled the Constitution to endure and stand the test of time,” he said.
Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal shared some personal insights from Ambedkar’s life as a young student of law in London, before he was Called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1922.
“He did not have money and would often skip meals and survive on little sleep, such was his commitment,” shared Meghwal, who described the Constitution as a “noble document” for the world’s largest democracy.
The event was held in association with the High Commission of India in London and also offered archival glimpses into Ambedkar’s life as a student of law in England.
“The adoption of our Constitution in January 1950 was when our democracy came into force. It is hard to imagine how India would have looked without the Constitution that Baba Saheb Ambedkar gave us,” said Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami.
Gray’s Inn is one of the four prestigious Inns of Court, or professional associations for barristers and judges, in London.
Lady Justice Geraldine Andrews, the Treasurer of the Inn, opened Thursday’s proceedings by referencing the portrait of Ambedkar installed in one of the rooms two years ago and Lady Arden, former justice of the UK Supreme Court and chair of the proceedings, called for greater exchanges between India and the UK in the legal arena.
“I was inspired to be Called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn because Dr Ambedkar and Veer Savarkar were barristers there and it was a historic moment for the current Chief Justice of India, who is from the same community as Dr Ambedkar, deliver an address at the Inn,” said barrister Kashmira Vora, behind the installation of the portrait in 2022.
“It was the first non-white portrait to go up in a prominent place at Gray’s Inn. Ever since, the members of the Inn have recognised the contribution made to the development of law by Dr Ambedkar,” she said.
