Nalsa conference: CJI Gavai calls for awareness of rights; urges restoration of Kashmir's communal harmony
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Sunday stressed that rights hold no value without awareness, and underlined the need to rebuild the Kashmir of the past, where all communities lived together in peace.
Speaking at the North Zone Regional Conference of the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) in Srinagar, CJI Gavai urged the legal fraternity to work towards ensuring justice for every citizen, particularly those in the remotest corners of the country.
'The judges and lawyers together have to ensure justice for the last citizen of the country,' he said. 'The Nalsa works in this direction, and we try to take the Nalsa work to remote areas of the country -- be it in Ladakh, the Northeast or Rajasthan.
Unless people have the knowledge of their rights, the rights are of no use', he added.
In what appeared to be a reference to the decades of unrest in Kashmir, he noted that 'there have been aberrations,' but called for efforts to remove them. 'This dialogue between judges and lawyers will give a new perspective. I am sure this programme will help in rebuilding the traditional Kashmir where all communities—Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs—used to live together,' he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
CJI Gavai also reminded the gathering of the Constitution's promise of justice, political, social, and economic and said that judges and lawyers must commit themselves to upholding these principles in their true spirit.
He credited BR Ambedkar for establishing political justice through the principle of 'one person, one vote' but also acknowledged the persistent social divisions that remain difficult to overcome.
Reflecting on his visits to the region, he said, 'I feel like I have come to my hometown. I am thankful for all the love and affection showered on me. The tradition of Sufism here promotes secularism as enshrined in the Constitution.'
Responding to concerns raised by representatives from the Bar in Ladakh, Jammu, and Kashmir, CJI Gavai assured them that although he may not have direct authority to act, he would pass the feedback on to the Collegium and other relevant bodies.
The legal summit was hosted at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar and is the second major Nalsa event in the region after last year's All India Legal Services Meet.
A legal awareness camp for tribal communities is also planned as part of the outreach.
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