'Wounds Healed But Left Everlasting Impact': CJI Chandrachud Recalls Painful Memory Of School Punishment

‘wounds healed but left everlasting impact’: cji chandrachud recalls painful memory of school punishment

New Delhi: While speaking at a seminar on Saturday, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud recalled the time when he was caned at school for a small mistake. The Chief Justice, who was a class 5 student at the time of the incident, described it and said that the way people treat children leaves a lasting impact on their minds.

“How you treat children has a deep impact on their minds throughout their life…I will never forget that day in school. I was not a juvenile delinquent when my hands were caned. I was learning craft and didn’t bring the right sized needles to class for the assignment,” he said.

“I still remember that I requested my teacher to cane my bum and not my hand,” he added. Out of shame, he could not tell his parents and had to hide his injured right palm for 10 days.”

“The physical wound healed, but left an everlasting imprint on the mind and soul. It is still with me when I do my work. The impact of such travesty on children is so deep,” said the CJI.

According to a report, the incident was recounted by the Chief Justice of India at the National Symposium on Juvenile Justice organized by the Supreme Court of Nepal in Kathmandu.

While discussing juvenile justice, the CJI added that we need to recognise the unique needs and vulnerabilities of children involved in legal disputes and ensure that our justice systems respond with compassion, rehabilitation, and opportunities for reintegration into society. He added that it is important to understand the multifaceted nature of adolescence and its interrelationship with the various dimensions of society.

The CJI at the seminar also mentioned a petition filed in the Supreme Court demanding the termination of the pregnancy of a minor rape survivor, the report said. He also spoke about the challenged faced by India’s justice system.

A major challenge is inadequate infrastructure and resources, especially in rural areas, which has led to overcrowded and substandard juvenile detention centres. As a consequence, providing proper support to juvenile delinquents and efforts to provide rehabilitation may be hindered, he said.

He said that social realities must also be considered as many children are pushed into criminal activities by gangs, adding that adolescents with disabilities are also vulnerable. He provided the example of how visually impaired children are exploited for begging by criminal syndicates in India.