For 61-year-old Rajbir Shastri of Rakhi Garhi village, it was an unusual Saturday — he has been waiting for the day for months.He woke up at 6 am, got ready all excited to meet the man, who he says has inspired many in his village and is fondly called “Surya”.“Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant was to attend a felicitation ceremony at his native Petwar village in Hansi. I travelled 14 km to meet him. His statement that ‘the court can sit till midnight to deliver justice to poor litigants’ has inspired many youngsters in my village. There are very few people who continue to love their motherland even after reaching such heights in life. We are deeply touched that he still remembers the names of villagers.”Like Shastri, 80-year-old Chander Singh Jangra, who has known ‘Surya’ since his childhood days, has been waiting for the day since November. “I have known him since his childhood, and he was always a hardworking boy. It was my privilege that I was chosen to present him with a turban,” he said.During his first visit to his native village after being sworn in as the 53rd CJI in November 2025, Justice Surya Kant received a rousing welcome from the people, with villagers dancing to the beats of the dhol. The road leading to the venue was lined with posters bearing his image and the words “Petwar Rattan.”Chief Justice of India Surya Kant Saturday visited his native place in Haryana and inaugurated two court complexes — one in Hisar district and the other in Hansi. He was accompanied by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, reached his native Petwar village in the newly carved Hansi district in the afternoon.The CJI who did his early education in the village said, “No one in my family had any idea about law, and none of my relatives had ever studied it.” He also remembered his English teacher, Prem Singh, who had held extra classes to help them achieve better results in the class 10 examination of 1977.Story continues below this adHe embraced schoolchildren and signed autographs when they presented him paintings of his photograph.Pankaj, a class 12 student, added, “I am grateful that the Chief Justice accepted my paintings, which gave me immense joy. His rise in life has given us the strength to believe that we too can fulfil our dreams and bring honour to our village.”Recalling his school days, justice Kant said, “In terms of education, Petwar was advanced enough to have a primary school, a middle school for girls, and a co-educational high school. But children had to struggle greatly to pursue education at that time. We all faced those struggles. Sometimes there were no teachers. I still remember that when the English teacher was transferred, it created very tough times because his substitute would not arrive for months.”He added, “In those days, the school lacked facilities. We used to sit on the floor. Yet I remain proud of the commitment shown by the teachers of that era.”Story continues below this adRecalling his father Madan Gopal Shastri’s support at every stage of his life. He said, “I expressed my wish to go to college at a time when my father, a school-teacher, was burdened with the responsibility of educating four children. He always supported me.”In another dilemma after graduation, he said, “Some family members wanted me to prepare for competitive exams for a government job. But I was a bit stubborn. I insisted on studying law. No one in the family or among our relatives had any idea about law. But it was my wish to pursue it, and my father fully supported me. He was both a friend and a guide. Had he not supported me then, my career would have been very difficult.”Even after decades, he still remembers the elders of his village and their blessings. Recalling Master Rishal Singh, Chaudhary Molu Ram ji, and the father of his friend Thambu Ram he said, “Whenever I touched their feet, they would tell me, ‘Son, you must become a great man and bring honour to this village.’ Those words of inspiration carried me from the village to the city of Hisar, and from there to Chandigarh. Their prayers, blessings, and faith in me became my strength, and it is because of all these things that I stand before you today.”He moved to Chandigarh in 1985 to practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, specialising in constitutional, service, and civil matters. At the age of 38, he became the youngest Advocate General of Haryana on July 7, 2000. He was designated a senior advocate in March 2001 and elevated as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 9, 2004.Story continues below this adAt the function, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal described him as “sooraj, the Sun,” adding, “Blessed is the village where people like Justice Suryakant are born.”Earlier in the day, Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the newly constructed court in Barwala in Hisar district and also laid the foundation stone of the upcoming court complex.The programme was attended by Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Sheel Nagu, many judges of the High Court, Haryana Ministers Ranbir Singh Gangwa and Arvind Sharma, among others.Addressing the gathering, Justice Surya Kant said that the primary objective of establishing new courts is to make justice simple, accessible and affordable for the common citizen.Story continues below this adCongratulating the Haryana government, he said that judicial work in Barwala (Hisar) and Narnaund (Hansi), where he also inaugurated a court complex, will commence from Monday.Following the concept of “Justice at Your Doorstep,” judicial complexes are being constructed closer to the public, which has proved particularly effective for the poor in accessing justice. Along with continuous infrastructure development, it is equally important that citizens receive quality justice, he said.