Village Boy Becomes India's Chief Justice With Dad's Support

When Justice Surya Kant returned to Petwar village in January 2026, neighbors danced in the streets and lined the roads with posters calling him "Petwar Rattan," the jewel of their community. The 53rd Chief Justice of India had come home, and an entire village celebrated the boy who sat on classroom floors and dreamed impossible dreams.

Rajbir Shastri traveled 14 kilometers just to shake his hand. The 61-year-old remembered Justice Kant's promise that courts would stay open until midnight to serve poor citizens, words that inspired young people across rural Haryana to believe the legal system could work for them too.

Justice Kant's path wasn't predetermined by family tradition or wealth. His father, Madan Gopal Shastri, was a schoolteacher supporting four children when young Surya announced he wanted to study law. No one in their family or extended relatives had ever practiced law or even understood it.

"Some family members wanted me to prepare for competitive exams for a government job," Justice Kant told the gathered crowd. "But I was a bit stubborn." His father became both friend and guide, supporting a dream when the practical choice would have been steady government employment.

The village school lacked basic facilities. Students sat on floors, and when the English teacher transferred out, replacements sometimes took months to arrive. But teacher Prem Singh held extra classes to help his students succeed, the kind of commitment Justice Kant says shaped his understanding of service.

At 38, he became Haryana's youngest Advocate General. By 2004, he was a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In November 2025, he took oath as Chief Justice of India.

During his visit, schoolchildren presented him with paintings of his portrait. He embraced them, signed autographs, and saw his own journey reflected in their hopeful faces. Pankaj, a class 12 student, said receiving the Chief Justice's acceptance of his artwork gave him "immense joy" and strength to believe his own dreams could honor their village.

Eighty-year-old Chander Singh Jangra, who has known "Surya" since childhood, waited months for this homecoming. "He was always a hardworking boy," Jangra said, honored to present the Chief Justice with a traditional turban. "It was my privilege."

Justice Kant remembered the village elders who blessed him as a young man. "They would tell me, 'Son, you must become a great man and bring honour to this village,'" he recalled. "Those words of inspiration carried me from the village to the city of Hisar, and from there to Chandigarh."

Why This Inspires

This story matters because it proves that talent and determination can flourish anywhere when met with belief. Justice Kant's father chose faith over fear, supporting an unconventional path when a safer option existed. That single decision rippled outward, eventually touching millions of Indians seeking justice in their courts.

His return to Petwar sends a powerful message to rural students everywhere: your starting point doesn't determine your destination. The boy who sat on classroom floors now leads the nation's highest court, and he came back to say thank you.

One father's support launched a legacy that will inspire generations of village children to pursue their own impossible dreams.