There’s special significance to the appointment of Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the new Chief Justice of India (CJI). The presidential declaration brought new cheer to the North-East region – and understandably so. Apart from the aspects of merit and seniority, this appointment is also a recognition of the increasing eminence the North-East region is getting in the nation’s scheme of things. Gogoi, who hails from the region and functioned in the past as chief justice of the Guwahati High Court, will have the rare distinction of being the first CJI from this region in Independent India’s over 70 years of history. Notably, this long period saw the swearing in of as many as 45 CJIs. By the appointing Gogoi to this exalted post, India has done justice to the cause of national integration in a major way.
India as a nation has been evolving as a unified entity over the past many years. That process has been slow, but steady. Regional and other imbalances though are still matters of concern. In terms of economic growth, the western parts of the country maintained the upper hand for many years. Now, the South is catching up in terms of development and growth. The same cannot be said of the eastern sector as a whole. The North-East that languished on the sidelines for decades is of late getting increased attention. More and more educational institutions have sprung up in the region, and so have industries, infrastructure and governmental institutions. The communications sector too saw commendable growth here. Importantly, larger numbers of youths from
the region are now spread across India, finding gainful employment. The national capital, New Delhi is itself a major hub for youths from the North-East; so too cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The rise of Ranjan Gogoi to the post of CJI at the Supreme Court is also a commentary on the educational and professional empowerment of the society in the North-East region. It also is a fitting tribute to the aspirations of the people of this region. India’s parliament had at its head a prominent leader from the North-East, Purno Agitok Sangma, for a term and he acquitted himself well. A day could come, sooner or later, when the North-East could claim the top political post of Prime Minister; it already having had a President in the form
of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and an Indian National Congress president by name DK Baruah. Ranjan Gogoi is the latest addition to this list of eminence.