New Delhi [India], June 11: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, the first Buddhist and second Dalit to occupy the nation’s top judicial position, delivered a powerful speech at the Oxford Union on Tuesday, calling the Indian Constitution a “quiet revolution” for the country’s most marginalised citizens.
Speaking on the theme ‘From Representation to Realisation: Embodying the Constitution’s Promise’, CJI Gavai reflected on his personal journey — from a municipal school student to the highest office in the Indian judiciary — as living proof of the Constitution’s transformative power.
“Decades ago, millions were called ‘untouchables,’ denied voice and dignity. Today, someone from that very background stands before you as the Chief Justice of India. That is what the Constitution did — it told people they belong,” Gavai said.
He described the Constitution not merely as a legal document but as a “lifeline” and a “social contract” that confronts harsh realities — caste, poverty, exclusion, and injustice — rather than ignoring them.
Highlighting the Constitution’s bold ambition, he said, “It dares to intervene, to recalibrate power, and to restore dignity. It compels the State not just to protect rights but to actively uplift and repair.”
CJI Gavai also emphasized that marginalised communities were not just subjects of protection but active participants in the framing of the Constitution. He praised the vision of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Chair of the Drafting Committee, for embedding mechanisms like affirmative action and representation to redistribute power in a deeply unequal society.
“In Dr Ambedkar’s vision, democracy would not survive unless power was shared not just across institutions, but across communities,” he said.
Calling the Constitution a living, breathing document, Gavai concluded, “It carries within it the heartbeat of those who were never meant to be heard. It is not just a promise of equality, but a pursuit of it.”
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