16-05-2025
Justice Gavai represents a new chapter in Indian social democracy
India witnessed a historic and transformative moment in its democratic journey as Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, a proud Ambedkarite Buddhist and only the second Dalit in Indian history, took oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI). This event is not merely a milestone for judicial leadership but a powerful symbol of social inclusion and representation. Significantly, Justice Gavai's swearing-in came just days after Buddha Purnima, adding spiritual resonance to an already iconic moment.
Representation that empowers
Justice Gavai's journey, from Nagpur — near Babasaheb Ambedkar's Chaityabhoomi — to the pinnacle of the Indian judiciary, is a lesson in grit, intellect, and conviction. Practicing law at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, serving as the government pleader and public prosecutor for the state of Maharashtra, becoming a permanent judge of the Bombay High Court, and then being elevated to the Supreme Court, his legal career reflects a quiet revolution in representation — where caste identity is not a limitation but a source of strength and clarity.
In his recent initiative, when the Chief Justice was unavailable, Justice Gavai led the Supreme Court in observing a two-minute silence to pay homage to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. His moving statement, 'The Supreme Court cannot be aloof when the country is in danger,' reflects a rare blend of judicial dignity and patriotic commitment.
An era of inclusive optics and outcomes
Today, India is not only led by a Prime Minister who belongs to Other Backward Classes (OBC) but also boasts its first tribal woman President, Droupadi Murmu, who, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, oversaw Operation Sindoor. Her tribal identity delivers a significant message: The Indian state is now being shaped by hands once held back by history.
Similarly, the appointment of Arjun Ram Meghwal as India's first Dalit Law Minister since Ambedkar re-emphasises the government's consistent effort at inclusive empowerment. These are not token positions; they are levers of systemic transformation.
From assertion to empowerment
India's social democracy, envisioned by Ambedkar as the fusion of liberty, equality, and fraternity, is witnessing a new phase. We are moving beyond Dalit assertion to Dalit-led empowerment, where members of historically marginalised communities are not just resisting exclusion but are writing the scripts of national progress. In the words of Ambedkar: 'We are going to enter a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality, but in social and economic life, we will have inequality. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment.' The appointment of Justice Gavai is a step in that very direction.
A new social contract
In the Indian context, culture has always been more than performance. It is about who leads, who decides, and who represents. The oath-taking of a Buddhist CJI — the first in India's judicial history — is also a defining moment in our civilisational story.
Dalit literature must now evolve from being a space of recording angst and exclusion to becoming a space that narrates powerful journeys of resilience and rise. Justice Gavai's life is an ideal template, where knowledge, legal acumen, and spiritual grounding in Buddhism have come together to inspire a generation.
The decision of the NDA government to include caste enumeration in the upcoming Census, combined with the increasing presence of subaltern communities in top constitutional posts, indicates a structural reordering of Indian democracy — a maturing of our republic.
The optics, symbolism, and substance of these moments — a tribal President, a Dalit CJI and an OBC Prime Minister — are more than mere coincidence. They reflect a conscious national project of embracing equity, promoting representation, and pursuing social justice as a belief.
As we enter the 78th year of Independence, these moments are not just history in the making — they are the soul of the Constitution in action. A society once divided is now seeking cohesion through resolve, representation, and dignity — the very principles Ambedkar envisioned in the making of India.
The writer is national spokesperson of the BJP
