Dr Ambedkar’s ideas still guide India: CJI
Hyderabad:Chief Justice of India Justice B.R. Gavai on Friday highlighted the constitutional vision of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, calling him a foresighted leader who believed in the principle of “One Nation – One Constitution.” This commitment, he said, helped preserve India’s unity during its most challenging periods after independence.
Delivering a lecture titled “Constitution of India: The Contribution of Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar” at the Tagore Auditorium, Osmania University, Justice Gavai said Dr Ambedkar strongly advocated for single citizenship across the country, even within India’s federal framework. He contrasted this with the United States, where dual citizenship exists and each state has its own constitution alongside the federal one.
Justice Gavai noted that Dr Ambedkar’s draft initially faced criticism for being either too rigid or too liberal. Yet, the Constitution was designed with built-in flexibility, enabling future generations to adapt it through amendments. The very first amendment in 1951, which introduced Article 15(4), empowered the state to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, addressing discrimination and promoting equality.
Referencing the landmark Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala verdict in 1973, Justice Gavai underlined how the Supreme Court upheld Parliament’s authority to amend the Constitution, but safeguarded its basic structure. He said Ambedkar’s Constitution serves as a buffer between the people's rights and government failure, with courts continually balancing Directive Principles with Fundamental Rights, always giving primacy to the latter.
He called Article 32 the “soul of the Constitution,” asserting that fundamental rights without the right to constitutional remedies are meaningless. The Article grants citizens direct access to the Supreme Court to seek enforcement of their rights. Justice Gavai closed his address with the hope that citizens across India's remotest corners will realise economic, social and political justice.
Justice P.S. Narasimha of the Supreme Court, speaking at the event, said that a Constitution, no matter how well drafted, reaches its full potential only through the actions of good human beings. Recalling Dr Ambedkar’s stand for Hyderabad’s Dalits when they were denied water, he noted that Ambedkar refused the Nizam’s offer of a Chief Justice position, choosing instead to practice law and support the marginalised.
Acting Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Justice Sujoy Paul said the Constitution's effectiveness depends not just on its text but on the people who uphold it. Citing the Sri Lankan Constitution, which lasted only 14 years despite being well crafted, he said the spirit of the document and the commitment of citizens are crucial to its success.
In his welcome address, Osmania University Vice Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram highlighted the university’s rich history and its commitment to social justice and inclusiveness, reflected in its 64 per cent female student intake.
