Stimulating Hour with NHRC Chairman
Justice V Ramasubramanian-Distinguished
Legal Luminary
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
(28-07-2025)
Five Members of the Center for Brahmin Excellence
(CBE) had the privilege of spending an enriching 45 minutes, over a
thoughtful interaction with the ‘Distinguished Legal Luminary’ and
former ‘Judge of the Supreme Court of India’ Justice V Ramasubramanian, on
Sunday Evening (July 27, 2025) at Hotel Grand Kakatiya in Hyderabad. Justice
Ramasubramanian who exemplifies the ideal blend of intellect, integrity, and
public service, is currently Chairperson of the NHRC (National Human Rights
Commission). The NHRC is in Hyderabad to conduct a two-day (July 28 and 29)
public hearing to address cases of human rights violations from
Telangana.
I am astonishingly felt privileged, when Justice
Ramasubramanian opened the discussion by warmly acknowledging one of my blog
posts (WHY NOT THE NEXT VICE PRESIDENT BE A BRAHMIN), which insightfully
addressed the question of Vice-Presidential Candidacy for the Brahmin community
in the ensuing election. His humility, sincerity, and measured wisdom left a
deep impression on all of us present. Facilitated by Harkara Srinivasa Rao,
other CBE Members in the meeting were: Cheruvu Rambabu, Sesha RSR Prasada
Kondapalli, and Vijay Oddiraju.
Justice Ramasubramanian shared a deeply personal
anecdote from the time of his retirement. Burdened with a significant amount of
housing loan and receiving retirement benefits of just half of it, he stood at
a financial crossroads. Justice Ramasubramanian narrated how he had witnessed
the divine miracles of God and reflected on how he made a conscious decision to
live within his own means after retirement. Cautious about exhausting his
entire corpus and uncertain of what the future held, he leaned instead on
faith. Within just four months, life offered him fresh opportunities, including
involvement in significant legal matters, culminating in his elevation as NHRC
Chairperson. He attributed this phase not to chance, but wholly to divine
grace.
With characteristic honesty and clarity, he spoke of
the practical dilemmas he faced when friends suggested him to settle in
Hyderabad. He had to weigh the advice carefully, because he felt that, life in
Hyderabad was costly, house rents were unreasonably high, and his modest
pension was clearly inadequate for sustaining a dignified life in such an
expensive city. These were not mere financial calculations; they reflected his
deep commitment to self-reliance and simplicity, grounded in the values of dharma.
Reflecting on the larger forces at play in human life,
he spoke of the power of punya (Virtue) accumulated by one’s ancestors.
The virtuous deeds of forebears, he explained, can manifest as blessings in the
lives of future generations, bringing strength in mind, body, and fortune. Justice
Ramasubramanian recalled his address at the felicitation function of Samavedam
Shanmukha Sharma, spiritual teacher, scholar, journalist, and lyricist, known
for his discourses on Hindu scriptures. He shared briefly what he spoke that
day, with rare candor about a matter that weighs heavily on sincere seekers of
truth.
Justice Ramasubramanian explicitly questions as to how
many of his contemporaries had gradually drifted away from the path of dharma-an
individual's moral responsibilities or duties. ‘The pursuit of material
survival had eclipsed the pursuit of spiritual truth. In their preoccupation
with worldly obligations and economic anxieties, many had consciously or
unconsciously abandoned their Dharmic Duties and Inner Disciplines. It
was not just a matter of individual choices but a collective forgetting, a
civilizational forgetfulness creeping in, even among those who once stood close
to the fire of wisdom’ mentioned Justice Ramasubramanian without any
hesitation.
In his honest reflections, Justice Ramasubramanian advised
CBE Members to take stock of how the cultural transmission chain has weakened.
In the pursuit of modern life, practices such as daily prayers or weekly visits
to temples have slipped away. He called for a quiet but determined revival of
such traditions, even if it starts late, so that the next generation can
rediscover its spiritual identity. He reiterated his genuine appeal to every
Hindu household: that children must be introduced to dharma early and
intimately. Every parent, he said, should ensure that their children stand
daily before the image of God at home, reciting at least one shloka with
sincerity and reverence.
He also advised parents that, children should be
guided in simple daily prayers and be taken to temples regularly, not as a
ritual formality, but as a formative spiritual experience. Such seemingly small
acts, he emphasized, shape the soul and anchor one’s life in the eternal values
of our tradition. With intellectual precision and spiritual depth, he brought
in the example of Sadh Guru Jaggi Vasudev, referencing him not as a celebrity Guru
but as a contemporary voice speaking to the Timeless Wisdom of the Vedas.
In yet another spiritual narrative, that transitioned
seamlessly to a subject visibly close to his heart, and also that blended
theology with environmental consciousness, Justice Ramasubramanian briefed
about the birth and mission of Adi Shankaracharya. He remarked that ‘Lord
Shiva himself incarnated as Adi Shankaracharya’ to restore cosmic balance.
He noted that during the rise of Buddhism, the cessation of Vedic Rituals such
as Homas had led to ecological and spiritual disequilibrium, which was
realigned through the advent of Shankara’s divine mission.
Describing it as nothing short of divine mystery, Justice
Ramasubramanian presented an evidence-based elucidation that, it was not merely
an historical event, but a cosmic necessity. Great.
In one of the most compelling parts of his talk, he
traced the symbolic and metaphysical cycle of divinities, Agni (the Fire God),
Varuna (the Lord of Waters), Indra (King of Devas), Soma, Vayu (Wind), and
Surya (Sun) who in the Vedic pantheon are part of a larger network of Vedic
gods representing various aspects of the cosmos and human existence. He said
that these six deities, along with others, are interconnected, representing
different facets of the universe and human experience within the Vedic worldview. He
also mentioned, how these deities represent principles of the cosmos, and how
ignoring their significance, as some modern intellectuals have done by
dismissing the Vedas, amounts to intellectual arrogance and spiritual
blindness.
Justice Ramasubramanian sharply disapproved the unfair
tendencies rationalism, where sacred symbols are stripped of meaning and turned
into academic curiosities, without substantiating appropriately. And yet, he
affirmed, it was precisely in such times of decline and distortion that the
divine intervenes through Avatars. The birth of Adi Shankaracharya, he
said, was one such divine intervention. Here once again he further elaborated
how Agni Deva himself is believed, within deeper streams of interpretation, to
have incarnated as Adi Shankara, to revive the flame of Sanatana Dharma
at a moment when it was flickering dangerously low. Thanks to that sacred
intervention, the eternal path was preserved, rearticulated, and re-anchored in
the consciousness of Bharata, said Justice Ramasubramanian.
The CBE Members presented the vision, goals, and
ongoing initiatives of the organization, right from its conceiving, launching,
civil services advocacy program, proactive role in several ways etc. Justice
Ramasubramanian appreciated the effort and acknowledged the significant decline
in Brahmin Representation, particularly of South Indian Brahmins, in national
policy and administrative roles. He acclaimed CBE efforts that seek to reverse
this trend. He mentioned about Sri Sankara school in Chennai where Vedic
education and CBSE curriculum coexist harmoniously, preparing Brahmin students
for holistic careers.
Justice Ramasubramanian, a Rishi-Saint in
modern robes, is a walking encyclopedia of contemporary jurisprudence and
ancient wisdom alike. He brings to public life a rare combination of legal
wisdom and Sanatana Dharma. As India charts its path forward, Justice V
Ramasubramanian, with his towering scholarship, spiritual depth, and
unblemished judicial career would be the best choice as Vice Presidency
Candidate, and to be the custodian of the Republic’s Highest Values.
Before leaving the room, I had the privilege of
presenting a copy of my Telugu Book ‘Sajiva Vahini Sanatana Dharma’ to
Justice Ramasubramanian.
{With Inputs from Srinivasa Rao Harkara,
Oddiraju Vijay, Sesha RSR Prasad Kondapalli and Cheruvu Rambabu, Center for
Brahmin Excellence-CBE-Members}
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