Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday fondly recalled his literary upbringing and credited his father for instilling in him a deep love for Hindi, Sanskrit and Haryanvi literature, as he delivered the keynote address in Hindi at the memorial lecture of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.
Speaking at the 8th memorial lecture themed ‘Rashmirathi: The Epic of Social Justice’, the CJI said that the occasion was personally special because he had “always loved to think and speak in Hindi”.
“I was brought up in a literary family. My father, Shri Madan Gopal Shastri, was himself a noted writer in Sanskrit, Hindi and Haryanvi, and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was among his favourite poets,” Justice Kant said.
The CJI reminisced that he had heard countless compositions of Dinkar from his father during his childhood and grew up amid frequent literary discussions at home involving writers, poets and intellectuals from Haryana and Punjab.
“There was always one common view among them — that Ramdhari Singh Dinkar stood apart because of his national thought, cultural consciousness and commitment to human values,” said Justice Kant, adding that Dinkar was not merely a poet but a “yug-nirmata” (epoch-maker) whose writings gave voice to the marginalised, challenged injustice and inspired social introspection.
Referring to Dinkar’s celebrated epic ‘Rashmirathi’, the CJI said that the work was far more than a literary text and embodied constitutional values, social justice and human dignity.
Using the character of Karna as a symbol of merit denied recognition because of birth-based discrimination, Justice Kant said Dinkar attacked a social order where identity was determined by caste and lineage rather than ability and character.
Quoting Dinkar’s lines from ‘Rashmirathi’, the CJI noted that the poem continued to hold relevance even today as questions of equality, dignity and social justice remained unresolved in many forms.
Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, chaired the event organised by non-profit Respect India. Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari was conferred the Dinkar Sanskriti Samman for his contribution to promoting the poet’s legacy.
In his address, Justice Kant also linked Dinkar’s vision with constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 15, 16 and 17, (which ensure equality before law, prohibit discrimination and secure equality of opportunity), emphasising that the Constitution sought to create an equal society free from discrimination. He added that literature had historically shaped civilisation and moral consciousness, adding that “poetic justice” had often preceded social and constitutional justice.
Referring to the idea of “poetic justice”, Justice Kant said that writers across the world had shaped humanity’s understanding of justice, equality and dignity. He cited poets including William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Sumitranandan Pant, Mahadevi Varma, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Rabindranath Tagore.
Quoting Tagore’s famous line — “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”, the CJI observed: “Your head can remain high only when society is equal, when there is social harmony along with social justice.”
Moving from literature to contemporary realities, the CJI said that the age of digital innovation, artificial intelligence and globalisation had transformed life rapidly, but the central question remained whether the benefits of progress were reaching everyone equally.
“Development does not merely mean expansion of resources; it also means just distribution of opportunities,” said Justice Kant, adding that Karna’s struggle demonstrated how talent could never fully flourish unless society itself became willing to recognise it.
Justice Kant also reflected on the judiciary’s role, saying courts played an important part in securing justice, but justice could not remain confined to judicial decisions alone. “Real justice is realised when society itself becomes willing to introspect and transform,” he said.
The law, he added, could provide structure and direction, but the responsibility of walking that path rested with society. Without equality, sensitivity and respect in social behaviour, even the reach of law would remain limited.
Concluding his address, the CJI said real justice could not come only through courts and laws, but required society itself to embrace equality, sensitivity and dignity in everyday life.
