THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
-Ramesh Chander
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai as the 52nd Chief Justice of India at a solemn ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Justice Gavai is the second individual from the Dalit community to become the CJI, the first being Justice KG Balakrishnan – the 37th CJI from January 14, 2007 to May 12, 2010. Congratulations to Justice B.R. Gavai and his family including extended family. I have had opportunities to meet and interact many of the members of the coveted clan – R.S. Gavai, father of Justice B. R.Gavai as an RPI leader during my formative years in Jalandhar, P.G. Gavai, an IAS officer who later became Lt. Governor of Delhi in 1984, Shashi Gavai, my senior colleague in the IFS and my contemporary in the IFS fraternity, Madhu Gavai.
Justice B. R. Gavai has been a part of several important Constitutional and judicial verdicts during his tenures at different Courts. Justice Gavai’s jurisprudence reflected a steadfast commitment to constitutional principles, social justice, and the rule of law as a staunch Ambedkarite.
It has been my good fortune to meet and host CJI K.G Balakrishanan during his visit to Minsk (Belarus) and CJI R.C. Lahoti in Tokyo (Japan). I met and interacted with Justice Balakrishnan subsequently in New Delhi with regard to our mutual interest and concern pertaining to the community and the society at large.
Though I have not met Justice B.R. Gavai personally yet somehow I felt like writing to wish him all the best in his great job and coveted position to carry forward the ‘caravan’ of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar by defending and up-holding the lofty ideals of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as watch-dog to safe-guard the lofty ideals of our Constitution as the CJI as visualized by our forefathers headed by Babasaheb Ambedkar.
