New Delhi, May 8 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Wednesday fondly recalled his literary upbringing and credited his father for instilling in him a deep love for Hindi, Sanskrit and Haryanvi literature, as he delivered the keynote address in Hindi at the memorial lecture of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. Speaking at the 8th memorial lecture themed 'Rashmirathi: The Epic of Social Justice', the CJI said that the occasion was personally special because he had "always loved to think and speak in Hindi". "I was brought up in a literary family. My father, Shri Madan Gopal Shastri, was himself a noted writer in Sanskrit, Hindi and Haryanvi, and Ramdhari Singh Dinkar was among his favourite poets," Justice Kant said. The CJI reminisced that he had heard countless compositions of Dinkar from his father during his childhood and grew up amid frequent literary discussions at home involving writers, poets and intellectuals from Haryana and Punjab. "There was always one common view among them - that Ramdhari Singh Dinkar stood apart because of his national thought, cultural consciousness and commitment to human values," said Justice Kant, adding that Dinkar was not merely a poet but a "yug-nirmata" (epoch-maker) whose writings gave voice to the marginalised, challenged injustice and inspired social introspection. Referring to Dinkar's celebrated epic 'Rashmirathi', the CJI said that the work was far more than a literary text and embodied constitutional values, social justice and human dignity. Using the character of Karna as a symbol of merit denied recognition because of birth-based discrimination, Justice Kant said Dinkar attacked a social order where identity was determined by caste and lineage rather than ability and character. Quoting Dinkar's lines from 'Rashmirathi', the CJI noted that the poem continued to hold relevance even today as questions of equality, dignity and social justice remained unresolved in many forms. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, chaired the event organised by non-profit Respect India. Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari was conferred the Dinkar Sanskriti Samman for his contribution to promoting the poet's legacy....