SC Judge Surya Kant pays rich tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, ex-PM Lal Bahadur Shastri

New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant on Thursday paid rich tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary and remembered their contributions in nation building.

Speaking at a function organised at the Supreme Court premises, where he garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Justice Surya Kant said on this day, "we bow in reverence to Rashtra Pita Mahatma Gandhi, whose life and ideals illuminate the very path that humanity treads on".

"His (Gandhi's) ability to unite millions of Indians from each and every strata of society galvanised a widespread national movement that challenged British rule directly on the ground," he said.

Gandhi's focus on villages, self-reliance, and simple living allowed him to represent the majority of Indians, giving a voice to the rural masses in the larger political narrative and reinforced a unified national identity, he added.

Justice Kant, who is the senior most judge of the apex court and is set to become Chief Justice of India on November 24, said that for Gandhi, true freedom was never confined to the attainment of political sovereignty; it was measured by the dignity accorded to the most vulnerable and by the assurance of justice to those at the margins of society.

"His vision was not restricted to legal institutions alone, but encompassed the broader fabric of social life, where harmony, equity, and compassion were to be the guiding forces of human conduct," he said, while addressing court staff, lawyers from Supreme Court Bar Association and Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association.

"As we contemplate his philosophy today, it is worth recalling that Gandhiji, like many of us here, was trained in the law. Yet his conception of conflict resolution transcended the adversarial methods of the courtroom and was convinced that even the fiercest disputants shared threads of common interest, and that through an appeal to both the heart and the mind, reconciliation was possible.

"His profound faith in the inherent goodness of humanity breathed life into his ethos of conflict as an opportunity for harmony rather than division," he added.

Paying tribute to former prime minister Shastri, who also shared his birthday with the father of the nation, Justice Kant said Shastri was nurtured by Gandhian thought from his earliest years in the freedom struggle.

"Nurtured by Gandhian thought from his earliest years in the freedom struggle, Shastri ji carried those values into the highest offices of public life. His tenure in governance was distinguished by humility, integrity, and a spirit of service.

"His enduring call -- 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' -- resonates even today as a timeless affirmation of patriotism, honouring both the soldier who safeguards the nation and the farmer who sustains it," he said.

Justice Kant highlighted that in carrying forward Gandhi's legacy, Shastri's stewardship as Prime Minister translated Gandhian principles into resolute action.

"His leadership was grounded in accessibility and moral clarity, mirroring Gandhi’s vision that justice and dignity must extend to every household and every field," he added.

Justice Kant further said that the profound commonality between Gandhi and Shastri lies in their unwavering devotion to justice as the bedrock of public life.

"For Gandhi, justice was the moral compass of society, inseparable from truth and compassion. Shastri, in turn, translated that moral vision into the practice of governance - through simplicity, integrity, and an abiding inclusiveness that ensured no citizen felt excluded from the nation’s progress," he said.

As we pay tribute to these two remarkable visionaries today, Justice Kant said, let us remember that their shared ethos, justice, humility, and selfless service, remains far more than a memory; it is a living call to action, urging us to uphold their principles in the ongoing journey of our democracy. PTI MNL NB