“Studying In One’s Mother Tongue Instils Strong Values”: CJI BR Gavai

Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai

Chief Justice of India Bhushan Gavai on Sunday revisited his childhood school in Mumbai and spoke passionately about the transformative role of learning in one’s mother tongue.

His remarks, grounded in personal experience, came at a moment when Maharashtra is deeply divided over language policy in its education system.

“Mother Tongue Education Gave Me a Strong Foundation”

During his visit to Chikitsak Samuh Shirodkar School in Girgaon—where he studied from Class 3 to 7—CJI Gavai shared how his early education in Marathi laid the foundation for his professional journey.

“My education in my mother tongue has never had any adverse effect on my professional journey,” he said.

He added that grasping concepts in a familiar language allows students to develop deeper understanding and values that last a lifetime.

“Learning in one’s mother tongue helps build a strong foundation. Once that is firm, you can stand in any situation.”

A Timely Comment Amid Language Debate In Maharashtra

Gavai’s remarks came just days after the Maharashtra government rolled back two resolutions that aimed to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools, starting from Class 1. The initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, faced stiff resistance from Marathi language proponents and cultural groups.

Language identity remains a politically sensitive issue in Maharashtra, a state that was born out of a movement for a Marathi-speaking region in the 1950s. For decades, regional pride—centered on the “Marathi manoos”—has shaped the state’s political discourse, especially in Mumbai. This linguistic pride was a core part of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s political rhetoric.

A Walk Down Memory Lane With Classmates

The CJI’s school visit was prompted by an invitation from his former classmates, Vinayak Joshi and Satish Saraf.

“Just a few days after I was sworn in as CJI (on May 14), Justice Madhav Jamdar from the Bombay High Court told me that Vinayak Joshi wanted to invite me back to school. That invitation meant a lot to me,” he said.

As he walked through the classrooms and corridors where he had spent his formative years, Gavai was visibly nostalgic.

A Bench, a Window, and a Reminder of Mumbai’s Divides

Inside room 101, where he studied in Class 4, Gavai paused at a wooden bench and looked out the same window he once used to stare through as a child. The moment reminded him of a significant case he had recently heard regarding the construction of a jetty at Colaba in south Mumbai.

Recalling courtroom arguments in that case, Gavai remarked:

“I told them, Aamchi Mumbai doesn’t live in Colaba near the Taj Hotel. That’s Tyanchi Mumbai. Aamchi Mumbai lives in Girgaon, in Dadar—in the heart of the city.”

Initially inclined to dismiss the petition, he said he was moved by a lawyer’s emotional framing of the issue as a battle between everyday Mumbaikars and elite interests.

Legacy Of Language & Identity

CJI Gavai’s visit served not just as a personal homecoming but also as a powerful statement on education and cultural identity. In a state where language continues to be a deeply emotive and political matter, his message was clear: a child’s first language is not a limitation—but a bridge to understanding, identity, and success.