CJI: Justice must reach people’s doorsteps, not remain in halls of power

Itanagar: Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on Sunday said the judiciary, legislature, and executive exist solely to serve the people and ensure justice is delivered swiftly and at minimal cost.

“I have always been a staunch supporter of decentralisation. Justice should reach people’s doorsteps,” he said after inaugurating the newly constructed Gauhati High Court, Itanagar Permanent Bench building here.

“Neither the courts, nor the judiciary, nor the legislature exist for the royals, judges, or members of the executive. We all exist to give justice to the people,” he said. Gavai lauded successive chief justices of the Gauhati High Court for working to make justice more accessible.

Commending Arunachal Pradesh’s unity in diversity, the CJI said, the state has 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes. The government has made efforts to preserve and promote the traditions and culture of every tribe.

“The country must progress, but not at the cost of our culture and traditions. It is one of our fundamental duties under the Constitution to preserve and conserve them,” he said.

Recalling his visits to several northeastern states in the past two years, Gavai said he was ‘mesmerised’ by the vibrant tribal culture. Referring to a recent visit to shelter homes in strife-torn Manipur, Gavai said, “A woman there told me, ‘You are welcome to your home’. It touched my heart because for all of us, India is one, and for all Indians, India is their home.”

Quoting B R Ambedkar, he said: “Baba Saheb was a staunch supporter of India’s unity. He always said, ‘India first and India last’. He assured that our Constitution will keep India united and strong in times of peace and war, which we have witnessed even after 75 years.”

“Every religion has its own ‘dharma granth’ (religious scripture), but for every Indian, the Constitution is the great ‘granth’. Our first allegiance must be to it,” he added, urging citizens to read the document.

Gavai also cited Ambedkar’s reminder that ‘political equality without economic and social equality has no value’, and stressed the importance of constitutional provisions under Schedules V and VI to protect the culture and traditions of the Northeast’s tribal communities.

Earlier, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Ashutosh Kumar said the new building reaffirms the Constitutional promise of justice without geographical barriers.

“Let Arunachal be the place where justice comes first without delay, just as it witnesses the first sunrise,” he said adding, court buildings are not just infrastructure, they are temples of Constitutional morality.

Supreme Court judges Ujjal Bhuyan, N Kotiswar Singh, Sandeep Mehta, and Vijay Bishnoi also spoke on the occasion.

The Rs 135.35 crore state-of-the-art complex, housing five courtrooms and modern facilities, was built by the Public Works Department.

Construction began in February 2021, following the foundation laid by Chief Minister Pema Khandu in 2018.