Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Sunday spotlighted the pivotal role of the Indian Constitution, drafted by BR Ambedkar, in sustaining the nation’s unity, progress, and resilience through times of war, peace, and internal crises. The remarks came at the book release of The Great Legal Luminary Dr BR Ambedkar, attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
CJI Gavai said, "I want to say that the Constitution given to us by Babasaheb Ambedkar is the very foundation on which our nation functions today. It is because of Babasaheb's Constitution that we see India progressing on the path of development. We see our nation standing united, whether in times of war or in times of peace, even during internal emergencies, our country has remained intact (Akhand)."
Drawing comparisons with neighbouring countries, he noted, "And when we compare ourselves with our neighbouring countries, whether it is Nepal, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka, the difference in their situations and ours, in my view, is because of the strength of the Indian Constitution."
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Highlighting the judiciary’s ongoing reforms, Gavai spoke of efforts to enhance access to justice and build robust judicial infrastructure across the country. "As Babasaheb Ambedkar rightly said, until social and economic democracy is achieved in this country, political democracy has no real meaning. The way we are building judicial infrastructure today is one of the means of ensuring that justice reaches the doorsteps of litigants. That is why we believe in decentralisation and are establishing judicial infrastructure across all places," he added.
CM Fadnavis praised the CJI’s contribution to modernising the judiciary. "These days, we can see that a lot of changes have taken place in the judicial system. Talking about the Bombay High Court, they have even started live streaming of hearings, and videos of several cases are now available on YouTube. This has made a lot of valuable information accessible to the public. Continuous efforts are being made to further speed up and strengthen such systems. Justice Gavai's name will be remembered in judicial history for his immense contribution in bridging the gaps that existed within the justice system. Whether it is infrastructure, manpower, or filling vacancies of judges, the pace at which progress has been made under his guidance is remarkable, and that is why his name will be etched in history," he said.
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