Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Surya Kant has publicly expressed his astonishment at the resistance from a section of lawyers towards a new, futuristic judicial infrastructure project in Assam. The controversy revolves around the proposed integrated judicial court complex in North Guwahati, for which the CJI laid the foundation stone on Sunday.
CJI's Appeal: Look Beyond Personal Interests
Addressing the gathering at the foundation-laying ceremony, Justice Surya Kant stated he was initially surprised to learn about the opposition from some members of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA). He emphasized that the development was crucial for the next generation of legal professionals.
"I believe that either they are ill-informed or unfortunately they are not realising the need and the necessity for young members of the Bar and those who are in queue to join the profession," the CJI remarked. He firmly asserted that personal vested interests should not be a valid ground to hamper the development of modern infrastructure with a futuristic vision.
He further clarified his priority as the head of the Indian judiciary, stating, "My priority is to the development of future infrastructure that empowers those who are yet to find their footing. They must also be respected. They must also be given sufficient space."
Bar Association's Protests and Government's Assurance
The members of GHCBA have been opposing the state government's proposal to set up the judicial complex at Rangmahal in North Guwahati for nearly three years. Their primary concern is the increased travel time, as the new location is about 30km across the Brahmaputra river from the present High Court building in Panbazar.
In a strong display of dissent, the association boycotted the foundation-laying ceremony and held a four-hour strike on the same day. This protest followed a two-day hunger strike in front of the old Gauhati High Court building on Thursday and Friday.
Responding to the travel time concerns, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma provided a significant update. He announced that a new bridge over the Brahmaputra, connecting Bharalu on the south bank to North Guwahati, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-February.
"Travel time between the two points will be just seven to eight minutes," CM Sarma stated, aiming to alleviate one of the major practical objections raised by the protesting lawyers.
A Complex for the Future
The proposed integrated judicial complex is designed as a comprehensive facility to house various courts and related offices. The CJI described it as a project "envisaged to match aspirations of the future." The move is part of a broader effort to decongest the existing court premises and provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the judiciary in the northeastern region.
The standoff highlights the classic conflict between immediate convenience and long-term developmental planning. While the bar members are concerned about their daily commute, the judiciary and the government are pitching the project as an essential investment for the future growth of the legal ecosystem in Assam.
The coming weeks will be crucial as the new bridge's inauguration in February could potentially address the core logistical grievance, paving the way for a resolution to this nearly three-year-old impasse.
