I have completed my work; I wish there should be a sunrise even tomorrow. The new Bharat has got political freedom, but it is yet to raise the sun of social and economic liberty. So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you. - Dr BR Ambedkar

Dr BR Ambedkar who was undoubtedly the key architect of our Constitution was born on April 14, 1891 in the town and military cantonment of Mhow which is now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar in Madhya Pradesh. He was the 14th and last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal who was an Army Officer in British rule and his mother was Bhimabai Sakpal. His family was of Marathi background from the town of Ambadawe (Mandangad Taluka) in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

He firmly believed in the principle of equality for all, regardless of caste, creed, religion, or gender, as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution. In my most humble opinion, the denial of even a single High Court Bench to Western UP, the hilly regions of undivided UP, and lawless Bihar is the biggest slap in the face of the Constitution!

I believe that the Centre, for the last 80 years or so, has strongly felt that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s recommendation for separate statehood, a separate High Court, and a separate capital for Western UP—and similarly for Central UP and Eastern UP—was one of the most foolish propositions ever made. This alone explains why the idea was nipped in the bud, and why, even in April 2025, we see no change from what was done during the early independence years of 1947–48.

However, we must give due credit to the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for creating the separate state of Uttarakhand, along with its own capital and High Court, for the hilly regions of undivided UP on November 9, 2000—about 25 years ago. This move came after massive public agitation, as people had to travel thousands of kilometers, not just to Lucknow (which already had a High Court Bench since 1948, very close to Allahabad), but all the way to Allahabad itself—over 230 km from Lucknow—to seek justice.

This situation represents the greatest betrayal of the Constitution, the deepest burial of justice, and the worst mockery of the poorest litigants. The Centre failed to implement the landmark recommendations of the Justice Jaswant Singh Commission—appointed by the Centre itself nearly 50 years ago and headed by a former Supreme Court judge—which proposed two High Court Circuit Benches at Dehradun and Nainital.

Ironically, while this proposal was ignored, the Centre wasted no time in creating an additional High Court Bench in Aurangabad, Maharashtra—which already had Benches in Nagpur and Panaji—as well as in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, for just five districts, even though a Bench already existed at Port Blair!


At first blush, even a layman can point out that which State in India needs multiple High Court Benches and which State needs maximum High Court Benches! Still we see that UP which is most populated State of India with maximum pending cases and Rajasthan which is largest State areawise have only one Bench at Lucknow and Jaipur and lawless Bihar has none! How long will the judicial system in big States still be allowed to be in doldrums for so long?

Is this the way to make India a developed country by 2047 as PM Mr Narendra Modi wants that you deprive most deserving big States like UP, Bihar and Rajasthan from having multiple High Court Benches and confer only few elite States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, MP, Assam and West Bengal with having multiple High Court Benches? Yet why even media which is considered the fourth pillar of democracy very rarely bothers to ever highlight it most forcefully especially in news channels and top newspapers and top magazines? I just can’t second guess!


There can never be a greater tragedy than this: that even after 78 years of independence, West Uttar Pradesh has been denied a single High Court Bench. This is despite the fact that West UP accounts for the majority of the pending cases in the state — the highest not just within UP, but across any region in India. Ironically, West UP contributes more than 80% to the state’s revenue, yet it continues to be mercilessly deprived of a High Court Bench, which is undoubtedly disastrous.

What is even worse is that the litigants from 30 districts of West UP have been shockingly attached not even to Lucknow — where a High Court Bench has existed since July 1948 in Eastern UP — but to Allahabad, which is over 250 kilometers away from even Lucknow. This means that the poorest litigants from these 30 districts must spend heavily and travel overnight and nearly an entire day by train just to attend court hearings. This is plainly unconstitutional, much like the situation in undivided UP where litigants from hilly regions had to travel thousands of kilometers all the way to Allahabad. Such arrangements were nothing short of dictatorial and made a complete mockery of the Constitution and the rights of poor litigants — a scenario that persisted until the formation of Uttarakhand. Ironically, this very issue is one that political parties have consistently avoided acknowledging.

The trials and tribulations that litigants from West UP continue to face due to the absence of a High Court Bench in the region are unending. Despite the fact that the majority of pending cases in UP are from West UP, the Centre has done absolutely nothing to address the issue, and the media has also failed miserably to highlight it effectively.

With a very heavy heart, I want to say that Centre has been most biased in denying West UP even a single Bench! You don’t need a telescope to see that which State should have maximum High Court Benches as it is the most populated State of India with maximum number of pending cases! How long will Supreme Court be in hibernation mode on this count? It has to be acknowledged with grace and humility that denial of even a single High Court Bench to West UP is not only dangerous and deleterious but also most disastrous, most despicable, most dastardly and so also most discriminatory!

It is most shocking that Uttar Pradesh (UP), which is among the largest states in India and has the highest population—more than 26 crore, as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi frequently and proudly assert—also tops in several other areas. UP has the maximum number of districts (75), the maximum number of constituencies (80), the maximum number of Members of Parliament (80), and the maximum number of MLAs (404). It has produced the maximum number of Prime Ministers, including the current PM, Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha.

The state also has the maximum number of pending cases—over 11 lakh—in the Allahabad High Court, and West UP alone accounts for more than half of these cases, as noted by the Jaswant Singh Commission, which pegged the figure at 57%. After so many decades, this percentage has only increased substantially. The lower courts in UP are about to touch the 1 crore mark in pending cases.

UP has the maximum number of judges both in the High Court (160) and in the subordinate judiciary, but also the maximum number of judicial vacancies in both tiers. It has the largest Bar Council in the world with over 1 lakh members, as claimed on the official website of the UP Bar Council. Yet, the first woman Chairperson of the UP Bar Council, Darvesh Yadav, was shockingly shot dead inside court premises in Agra (West UP) on June 12, 2019—killed in cold blood with bullets pumped into her head and stomach.

The state also ranks highest in poverty, with over 1 lakh villages (exact number being 1,07,040), the most gram panchayats (74,626), and the highest number of fake encounter killings, custodial deaths, dowry cases, bride-burning incidents, human rights violations, robberies, dacoities, and cases of crime, loot, arson, and riots. Once again, West UP leads in these too—with the infamous Saharanpur, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar riots seriously tarnishing India's international image, to the extent that former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to UP as the "crime and rape capital" of India.

Recently, Bahraich has also come into the spotlight for communal disturbances. UP has the highest number of undertrial prisoners across all age groups. Yet, even today, in April 2025, the Centre remains unwilling to create even a single bench of the High Court—not just for West UP but for the entire state—since a bench was created in Lucknow in July 1948, which is already so close to Allahabad where the High Court is located, and where such a bench was not even needed.

How can the Centre deny, distort, or dispute these irrefutable facts? What makes matters worse is the Centre’s persistent stonewalling of any attempt to establish a High Court bench in West UP—or in any part of the state—other than Eastern UP.

Much water has flown down the bridge since India became independent in 1947 but the most stark truth is that even nearly 80 years later in April 2025, we see that West UP is without a High Court Bench which is definitely most deplorable, most dangerous, most self destructive and most discriminatory that even Supreme Court has dared not to ever intervene even when UP was undivided! Why Supreme Court has tolerated such dastardly discrimination in distribution of High Court Benches in different States and in different regions? If this is not the biggest tight slap on Constitution and Dr BR Ambedkar, then what else is?

Why is Centre so ambivalent and inimical in taking any proactive step that goes a long way in resolving this key issue at the earliest? One can’t fathom that why Centre has behaved so partially, so irrationally and so undemocratically that the most populated State of India with maximum number of pending cases was given only one Bench and that too very close to Allahabad itself and worst of all attached litigants of West UP and hilly areas of undivided UP with not even Lucknow which is more than 230 km earlier but right uptill Allahabad as if India was still being ruled by colonial Britishers with even Lahore in Pakistan closer to West UP as compared to Allahabad High Court? This is exactly that has led to catastrophic results and culminated in partition of UP into UP and Uttarakhand in 2000! Will any democratic country behave in such autocratic manner?

Is this democratic or autocratic style of functioning? Centre’s approach in this regard in last nearly 80 years has been most diabolically outrageous and has to be most strongly condemned! Why these elected representatives are behaving like monarchs depriving the people from having easy and affordable justice at doorsteps is truly incomprehensible?

Why this High Court Bench issue in West UP has most mysteriously remained in limbo for so long? Why can’t Centre bury the hatchet and move forward to balance the regional imbalance of Eastern UP having both High Court at Allahabad and a single Bench at Lucknow so close to each other and West UP inspite of owing for majority of pending cases of UP for whom Justice Jaswant Singh Commission recommended permanent seat of High Court Bench yet even after nearly 50 years not even a Bench created nor even a Circuit Bench created! What I find most deeply unsettling is that even now we see that neither the Supreme Court nor Centre is ready to open its eyes and take most concrete action to dismember the most historical, Himalayan blunder committed about 80 years ago! Denying West UP and Bihar even a single High Court Bench is not just illogical but also deeply insensitive, deeply flawed and most deeply discriminatory also that has gone unnoticed, unchecked and unaddressed for so long!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,
s/o Col (Retd) BPS Sirohi, A 82, Defence Enclave,
Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera, Meerut - 250001, Uttar Pradesh