Chief Justice BR Gavai Hails Indian Constitution As Lifeline For The Marginalised At Oxford Union

At the Oxford Union, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai delivered a powerful speech titled ‘From Representation to Realisation: Embodying the Constitution’s Promise’. He recalled how millions in India were once labelled ‘untouchables’ and denied dignity.

Now, he said, a person from that very background stands as the country’s highest judicial authority.

CJI BR Gavai praised the Indian Constitution for giving citizens the right to speak for themselves and affirmed their equal place in society.

Gavai called the Constitution a lifeline for India’s most vulnerable, not just a legal document but a moral and social revolution. He credited it for guiding his journey from a municipal school to the Chief Justice’s office.

Dr Ambedkar’s vision of representation

CJI Gavai emphasised that the Constitution faces caste, poverty, and injustice directly. He said it dares to intervene and recalibrate power.

He acknowledged Dr BR Ambedkar as a towering figure whose work on representation shaped India’s constitutional values.

Ambedkar believed representation was vital for political consciousness and a necessary check against dominant castes and classes.

Ambedkar, according to CJI Gavai, ensured the Constitution included measures to empower Dalits, Adivasis, women, and minorities. He quoted Ambedkar’s statement that democracy must mean a life based on liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Supreme Court’s role in expanding rights

CJI Gavai cited constitutional guarantees such as quotas in jobs, education, and politics. He noted that courts upheld affirmative action in key rulings, supporting representation as a facet of equality.

He praised judgments like NALSA (2014) for recognising transgender rights and Babita Puniya (2020) for granting permanent commissions to women in the military.

The Chief Justice of India highlighted recent moves like sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and women’s political reservation. These, he said, ensure the most marginalised benefit from constitutional protections.

CJI Gavai concluded by referencing Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s question, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” He answered, “Yes, they have been speaking. The real question is whether we are listening.”

CJI Gavai’s speech reaffirmed the Constitution’s role in uplifting those excluded from power and reasserted that representation remains central to Indian democracy.

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