Chief Justice of India Surya Kant recalled that no one in his family had a legal background, but his father’s unwavering support encouraged him to study law. His journey from a small Haryana village to the country’s top judicial post continues to inspire students and young lawyers across India.
For 61-year-old Rajbir Shastri from Rakhi Garhi village, Saturday was not an ordinary day. He had been waiting for this moment for months. He woke up early at 6 am, got ready with excitement, and travelled 14 kilometres to meet the man whom many people in his area lovingly call “Surya”.
Speaking about the occasion, Rajbir Shastri said,
“Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant was to attend a felicitation ceremony at his native Petwar village in Hansi. I travelled 14 km to meet him. His statement that ‘the court can sit till midnight to deliver justice to poor litigants’ has inspired many youngsters in my village. There are very few people who continue to love their motherland even after reaching such heights in life. We are deeply touched that he still remembers the names of villagers.”
Like him, 80-year-old Chander Singh Jangra was also eagerly waiting for the day since November. He has known Justice Surya Kant since his childhood. Sharing his emotions, he said,
“I have known him since his childhood, and he was always a hardworking boy. It was my privilege that I was chosen to present him with a turban.”
During his first visit to his native village after being sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India in November 2025, Justice Surya Kant received a grand and emotional welcome. Villagers danced to the beats of the dhol, and the road leading to the venue was decorated with posters carrying his photograph and the words “Petwar Rattan.”
On Saturday, the Chief Justice visited his native place in Haryana and inaugurated two court complexes — one in Hisar district and another in Hansi. He was accompanied by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and reached Petwar village in the newly created Hansi district in the afternoon.
While addressing the gathering, Justice Surya Kant spoke about his early life and education. He said,
“No one in my family had any idea about law, and none of my relatives had ever studied it.”
He also fondly remembered his English teacher Prem Singh, who took extra classes to help students perform better in the Class 10 examinations of 1977.
The Chief Justice warmly interacted with schoolchildren, hugged them, and signed autographs when they presented him with paintings of his photograph. One of the students, Pankaj, who is studying in Class 12, shared his happiness and said,
“I am grateful that the Chief Justice accepted my paintings, which gave me immense joy. His rise in life has given us the strength to believe that we too can fulfil our dreams and bring honour to our village.”
Recalling his school days, Justice Kant spoke honestly about the challenges faced by students at that time. He said,
“In terms of education, Petwar was advanced enough to have a primary school, a middle school for girls, and a co-educational high school. But children had to struggle greatly to pursue education at that time. We all faced those struggles. Sometimes there were no teachers. I still remember that when the English teacher was transferred, it created very tough times because his substitute would not arrive for months.”
He further added,
“In those days, the school lacked facilities. We used to sit on the floor. Yet I remain proud of the commitment shown by the teachers of that era.”
Justice Surya Kant also spoke with deep respect about his father, Madan Gopal Shastri, and the support he received from him throughout his life. He said,
“I expressed my wish to go to college at a time when my father, a school-teacher, was burdened with the responsibility of educating four children. He always supported me.”
Sharing another important turning point in his life after graduation, he said,
“Some family members wanted me to prepare for competitive exams for a government job. But I was a bit stubborn. I insisted on studying law. No one in the family or among our relatives had any idea about law. But it was my wish to pursue it, and my father fully supported me. He was both a friend and a guide. Had he not supported me then, my career would have been very difficult.”
Even after achieving the highest position in the judiciary, Justice Surya Kant said he has never forgotten the elders of his village and their blessings. Remembering Master Rishal Singh, Chaudhary Molu Ram ji, and the father of his friend Thambu Ram, he said,
“Whenever I touched their feet, they would tell me, ‘Son, you must become a great man and bring honour to this village.’ Those words of inspiration carried me from the village to the city of Hisar, and from there to Chandigarh. Their prayers, blessings, and faith in me became my strength, and it is because of all these things that I stand before you today.”
He moved to Chandigarh in 1985 to start his legal practice at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where he handled constitutional, service, and civil cases.
At the age of just 38, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000. He was designated as a senior advocate in March 2001 and was elevated as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.
At the felicitation ceremony, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal praised him and said he was like “sooraj, the Sun,” adding,
“Blessed is the village where people like Justice Suryakant are born.”
Earlier in the day, Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the newly constructed court complex at Barwala in Hisar district and also laid the foundation stone for another upcoming court building.
The programme was attended by Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Sheel Nagu, several High Court judges, Haryana ministers Ranbir Singh Gangwa and Arvind Sharma, along with other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Surya Kant said that the main purpose of setting up new courts is to make justice simple, accessible, and affordable for common people.
Congratulating the Haryana government, he said that judicial work in Barwala (Hisar) and Narnaund (Hansi), where he also inaugurated a court complex, will begin from Monday.
Referring to the idea of “Justice at Your Doorstep,” he said that building courts closer to people has helped especially the poor in getting access to justice. He also stressed that along with improving infrastructure, it is equally important to ensure that people receive quality justice.
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