Dalit and Buddhist: Justice Gavai Appointed Chief Justice of India’s Supreme Court

Son of a prominent activist and politician, he took office after being sworn in before President Droupadi Murmu. He will serve a six-month term, until 23 November. Fr Raj: the appointment is a “sign” of the “hard work and perseverance” through which Dalits today can aspire to the highest positions.

Delhi (AsiaNews) – Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has become the second Dalit and the first-ever Buddhist in the history of India to be appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (CJI), marking a historic milestone. His appointment is seen as confirmation that “through hard work and perseverance,” it is possible to reach the most senior roles in public life. Justice Gavai officially took office after being sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the Head of State. He is the 52nd Chief Justice of India and will serve a term of just over six months, ending on 23 November.

Justice Gavai began his legal career in 1985, enrolling with the Bar Council and starting his practice at the Mumbai High Court. In 2003, he was appointed Additional Judge, and in 2005, he became a permanent judge. He was elevated from the Bombay High Court to the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Z. Devasagaya Raj, former secretary of the Office for Dalits and Backward Castes of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), said the appointment is a “sign” of the “hard work and perseverance” by which a Dalit can reach “the highest judicial office”.

“His background – growing up in a village, attending a government school, and belonging to a marginalised caste – will undoubtedly shape his judgements and ensure justice for the excluded,” the priest added. He also pointed to the significance of the new Chief Justice's faith. “Being a Buddhist himself, he will be aware that New Buddhists were only added to the Scheduled Caste (SC) list in 1990. If the issue of Dalit Christians and their inclusion in the SC list comes up, we hope he will approach it with an awareness of conversion from Hinduism to other religions.”

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Justice Gavai received congratulations from President Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and several members of the government. His predecessor, former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, was also present and extended his best wishes to the new Chief Justice.

Justice Gavai is only the second Dalit to serve as Chief Justice of India, following K.G. Balakrishnan. His father, R.S. Gavai, was a well-known social activist and political leader, founder of the Republican Party of India (Gavai faction), and former governor of three Indian states. He also served as a member of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. In more than 75 years of Indian republican history, Justice Gavai’s rise – following that of Justice K.G. Balakrishnan (1999–2000) – carries deep symbolic and political significance for a country still grappling with the legacy of caste-based exclusion and discrimination.