Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai stated on Saturday that India has always shown strength and unity whenever faced with challenges.
Inaugurating India's first Constitution Preamble Park at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Law School in Nagpur University, the CJI looked back at the history of lasting stability which has been derived from the Constitution.
Speaking to the assembly, in which were present Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, CJI Gavai remembered B.R. Ambedkar's justification of the Indian Constitution.
"Babasaheb had faced criticism for enacting a Constitution which was too centric," he observed, "but he had responded that it was neither centric nor solely federal."
He told us we are providing a Constitution which will make the nation stand strong in war and peace. Today, after 75 years, we can see this tested. See the instability around our neighbourhood — Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal — and then compare it with the way India has tackled every crisis with unity and strength.
Referring to the Supreme Court judgment on the abrogation of Article 370, CJI Gavai stated that the verdict followed Ambedkar's vision of one Constitution for the whole country. "The Supreme Court agreed that the nation needs to be run under one Constitution," he said, reaffirming the role of the judiciary in maintaining national cohesion.
CJI Gavai was also honoured at the event for taking office as Chief Justice on 14 May. He lauded Dr Ambedkar for developing the foundation of a harmonious India through the Constitution and commented upon the symbolic significance of developing the Preamble Park in Nagpur, the city where Ambedkar converted to Buddhism.
A day before this, the CJI had spoken at a felicitation function held by the Nagpur District Court Bar Association. In his address, he emphasised judicial restraint, advising against overreach. The judiciary should not interfere in every issue. There has to be a fine balance between judicial activism and constitutional discipline," he stated.
He also emphasised the requirement of all three institutions of democracy — the legislature, executive, and judiciary — to function within their limits as defined by the constitution. "Judicial activism should not become judicial terrorism or adventurism," he averred.
Paying respects to Dr Ambedkar, CJI Gavai attributed the success of the Indian Constitution and the vision of Ambedkar to himself. He referred to the Constitution as a "unique document that ensures social, financial and political justice for all."
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