Pics by Rons Bantwal

Mumbai, Jun 22: Addressing a large gathering of the Parsi community on Saturday, newly appointed Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Sarosh Kapadia admitted to being a workaholic and a deeply spiritual person. Justice Kapadia was in his hometown Mumbai to attend a felicitation function held by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet in his honour, where heads of various Parsi bodies from around the country congratulated him.

“The judicial function a judge performs is the spiritual function of a man,” said Kapadia (63), who attributed his drive to work hard to the sacrifices his parents made to have him educated.

Coming from a lower middle-class home in Khetwadi, Kapadia’s journey to the office of the CJI has been a rags-to-riches story.  His father Homi, now 91, grew up in a Surat orphanage with the humble dream to see his son become a district court judge, and Kapadia struggled through meager jobs to fund his own education.

“My father taught me not to accept obligations from anyone, and my mother taught me the ethical morality of life,” said Kapadia, who is known for declaring that his only asset is his integrity.

Paying a tribute to all those who played a role in his career, Kapadia urged young Parsis not to migrate abroad. He also called upon members of Parsi community who are settled abroad to return to India and contribute to nation building.

“Our great country does provide plenty of opportunities to rise, and it is better to be a first class citizen in India than a second class citizen abroad.” 

“It is better to be a first class citizen in India rather than accepting a second class citizen status elsewhere,” he said.

Kapadia, who took over as Chief Justice of India on May 12 this year,  said there was no discrimination in India and he felt that the Parsi community  and will flourish in the coming generations.