‘Learning in one's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation': CJI

Hindustan Times

07-07-2025

Mumbai: 'Learning in one's mother tongue helps build a strong foundation. Once that is firm, you can stand in any situation,' Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai said on Sunday during a visit to his alma mater, Chikitsak Samuh's Shirolkar High School in Girgaon, where he studied from class 3 till class 7. On Sunday, CJI Bhushan Gavai visited his alma mater, Chikitsak Samuh's Shirolkar High School in Girgaon, where he studied from class 3 till class 7 (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)
'My education in my mother tongue has never had any adverse effect on my professional journey,' a visibly emotional Gavai told his former classmates and current teachers and students at the school, sharing anecdotes that left many, including the CJI, with moist eyes.
Gavai's comments came amid a raging row in Maharashtra over the Mahayuti government's bid to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language class 1, in line with the National Education Policy, 2020. While the two government resolutions to introduce Hindi were scrapped on June 29, the row brought two estranged cousins, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, together for the first time in 20 years, signalling a shift in political alignments in the state.
The CJI was visiting the Girgaon school on an invitation from his former classmates Vinayak Joshi and Satish Saraf.
'Just a few days after I was sworn in as CJI (on May 14), Justice Madhav Jamdar from the Bombay high court told me that Vinayak Joshi wanted to invite me back to school. That invitation meant a lot to me,' the CJI said as he walked through the corridors and classrooms where he had spent a significant part of his childhood.
Sitting on a wooden bench in room number 101 on the first floor, which served as his classroom in standard 4, he recalled seeing during his school days the same chawl window that was visible at a distance.
'It reminds me of what I had said in court while hearing the Colaba jetty case – about 'Aamchi Mumbai' (our Mumbai) and 'Tyanchi Mumbai' (their Mumbai),' he said.
He was initially inclined to dismiss the petition against the proposed jetty and passenger terminal near Radio Club in Colaba – a posh, upmarket neighbourhood, he told the gathering.
'But during the arguments, a senior lawyer described it as a fight between 'Aamchi Mumbai' and 'Tyanchi Mumbai'. I told them, Aamchi Mumbai doesn't live in Colaba near the Taj Hotel. That's Tyanchi Mumbai. Aamchi Mumbai lives in Girgaon, in Dadar – in the heart of the city,' Gavai said.
Gavai's father RS Gavai was the vice-chairman of the legislative council, and he often travelled from his home near the Mantralaya to Girgaon by an Ambassador car.
'But many times, I took BEST bus number 5 from the stop near Mantralaya and got down at Gaywadi to reach school,' he said.
Sitting in one of his former classrooms, he reminisced about receiving 20 paisa per day as pocket money.
'I would buy a patti samosa for 5 paisa from the canteen,' the CJI recalled. 'If I was really hungry, I would splurge 10 paisa on usal pav.'
The visit also brought back fond memories of his teachers, including a certain Diwadkar madam. 'Once, about ten of us went to visit Diwadkar madam at her Dadar home. She welcomed us with homemade batata vadas. These are the kind of memories that stay with you forever.'
The CJI related another anecdote when a nail sticking out of a bench had pierced his thigh.
'A teacher applied some red antiseptic and wrapped it up. That's how we grew up,' he said.
The 52nd CJI visited his former classrooms, the school library and Wagle auditorium, where he received several awards in elocution. He was deeply impressed by the school's current activities and praised the National Cadet Corps (NCC) unit that gave him a guard of honour and the student band that performed for him. He also recalled playing kabaddi matches with friends in the school compound.
One of the most touching moments during the visit came when his former classmate, Satish Saraf, recalled a civics lesson from his years in school.
'Bhushanji was always soft-spoken and brilliant. When we were in class 7, the civics teacher asked about the state assembly and the legislative council. Bhushanji stood up and gave a three-minute lecture. We were stunned and even the teacher was speechless,' Saraf said.