‘Swarg hai toh yahin hain’, CJI Gavai calls for restoration of peaceful coexistence in Kashmir

Highlighting the necessity of educating individuals about their rights, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai stated that rights are ineffective without understanding. Knowledge of rights is essential.

Srinagar: Chief Justice of India BR Gavai spoke to judges and lawyers nationwide at the Northern Regional Conference of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) held at SKICC on Sunday. He expressed through poetry that if heaven exists on earth, it is indeed here. (Dharti par swarg hai toh yahin hai). He stated it must be restored to the Kashmir of earlier times when all groups coexisted peacefully.

Simultaneously, highlighting the necessity of educating individuals about their rights, he stated that rights are ineffective without understanding. Knowledge of rights is essential. He stated that judges and attorneys must collaborate to guarantee justice for every citizen in the nation. This is what NALSA aims for, and we endeavor to bring NALSA's efforts to the most distant areas of the nation - whether it’s Ladakh, Northeast, or Rajasthan. Rights hold no significance until individuals understand them. The Chief Justice, by explicitly referring to the Kashmir situation over the past 35 years, mentioned that certain irregularities need to be addressed. This conversation among judges and attorneys will offer a fresh viewpoint.

NALSA must persist in its efforts to guarantee that the final citizen in the most isolated area of the nation receives the justice guaranteed by the Constitution. "Through the nation’s Constitution, we have committed to ensuring justice politically, socially, and economically." We must fulfill our duty to carry out justice in its genuine essence. The legal profession must remain dedicated to the genuine principles of the Constitution. Babasaheb BR Ambedkar implemented political justice via one person, one vote, while addressing social divisions and the challenges of transitioning between them.

Sufism in this context advocates for the secularism established in the Constitution. Reflecting on his past trips to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Chief Justice Gavai expressed that he has been surrounded by great love and warmth from the residents of both Union Territories. I sense that I have returned to my hometown. I appreciate all the love and warmth given to me. I have traveled to every region of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh. The Sufi tradition in this region upholds the secularism established in the Indian Constitution. Individuals from various faiths visit dargahs, temples, and other places of worship.