Constitution recalibrates power to restore dignity: CJI Gavai at Oxford Union

London, Jun 11 (PTI) The Constitution of India is a social document that does not pretend that all are equal but dares to intervene to recalibrate power and restore dignity, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said in an address at the Oxford Union.

Addressing the historic institution at the University of Oxford on the topic of ‘From Representation to Realisation: Embodying the Constitution’s Promise’ on Tuesday, CJI Gavai reflected upon his own journey from a municipal school to the highest judicial office of the country to highlight the impact of the “legal charter” now in its 75th year.

He also delved into the role of Dr B R Ambedkar as the chairman of the Drafting Committee for his “foresighted and defining role” in embedding adequate safeguards and affirmative measures into the constitutional text, particularly the principle of representation.

“Many decades ago, millions of citizens of India were called ‘untouchables’. They were told they were impure; they were told that they did not belong; they were told that they could not speak for themselves,” said CJI Gavai.

“But here we are today — where a person belonging to those very people is speaking openly, as the holder of the highest office in the judiciary of the country. This is what the Constitution of India did. It told the people of India that they belong, that they can speak for themselves, and that they have an equal place in every sphere of society and power,” he said.

“The Constitution is not merely a legal charter or a political framework. It is a feeling, a lifeline, a quiet revolution etched in ink. In my own journey, from a municipal school to the Office of the Chief Justice of India, it has been a guiding force.

“The Constitution is a social document, one that does not avert its gaze from the brutal truths of caste, poverty, exclusion, and injustice. It does not pretend that all are equal in a land scarred by deep inequality. Instead, it dares to intervene, to rewrite the script, to recalibrate power, and to restore dignity,” he stated.

The Chief Justice noted that the idea of representation found its most powerful and enduring expression in the vision of Dr Ambedkar, a “statesman, scholar, jurist, and social revolutionary” who rose from the most oppressed strata of Indian society.

“For Dr Ambedkar, representation was far more than a procedural matter of allocating seats. It was a moral and democratic imperative,” said CJI Gavai.

“The true beauty of Indian democracy lies in this: even as we commemorate 75 years of the Constitution, we continue to reflect, renew, and reimagine how to deepen and expand the meaning of representation. Just last year, Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to provide political reservations for women in Parliament and state legislatures,” he said.

The keynote address at Oxford University opened with introductory remarks by Tanvi Dubey, Advocate on Record at the Supreme Court, and included an interaction with students on topics such as the role of technology and equal representation in the judicial process.

The CJI has been delivering a series of lectures and keynote addresses on the Constitution and its enduring impact during his ongoing tour of the UK this week. PTI AK NPK NPK