Judicial Gavel Strikes Fuel Crisis: MP HC Judge Cycles into Action on Modi’s Conservation Mandate
(Judicial Quest News Network)
May 12, 2026 | Jabalpur- In a gesture that has drawn both admiration and attention across legal circles, Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken to cycling to court a deliberate act of civic leadership in direct response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for fuel conservation amid escalating global energy concerns stemming from US-Iran tensions.
Justice Bansal posted at Jabalpur Bench of the High Court, travelled nearly three kilometres from his official residence in Civil Lines area to the court premises on a by-cycle, accompanied by court staff members.
“I have been observing for two days, looking at global crisis, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to save fuel among other things. Keeping it in mind, I felt I should cycle to High court and give a message to the common man to use cycle to commute whenever possible for shorter distance, “He Said
A video documenting the judge’s initiative, widely circulated on social media, captured Justice Bansal astride a bicycle and articulating the purpose behind his choice of commute.
Addressing the camera with characteristic candour, the judge explained that the Prime Minister’s appeal had prompted a personal resolve to set an example, particularly for short-distance travel of one to two kilometres where the use of motorised vehicles is, in his view, unnecessary.
“I keep cycling with Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva sometimes around the city of Jabalpur. I don’t think it’s much work to Cycle. Just because we are high court judges doesn’ts mean we are special,” he said.
A Message for the Common Citizen
Justice Bansal framed his gesture not as an exception befitting a constitutional functionary, but as a call to ordinary citizens to reconsider their daily commuting habits.
He noted that the distinction of holding judicial office carried no entitlement to lifestyle choices that ran counter to the national interest, stating plainly that High Court judges were no more deserving of special dispensation than any other member of the public when it came to sustainable living.
His remarks struck a notably egalitarian note one rarely heard from the higher judiciary as he acknowledged the widely cited deterrent of heat as an excuse that, in his view, ought not to prevail over the collective imperative of conservation.
A Shared Practice with the Chief Justice
Justice Bansal further revealed that cycling is not an isolated act of symbolism on his part.
He disclosed that he regularly cycles through the city of Jabalpur in the company of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, underscoring that the practice is as much a commitment to personal health and sustainable living as it is a response to the current energy situation.
The Broader Context
Prime Minister Modi, in a recent address, urged citizens across the country to exercise restraint in fuel consumption as India navigates the economic implications of rising global crude prices.
Justice Bansal’s response choosing to pedal to one of the country’s constitutionals courts has lent the appeal a resonance that extends beyond political messaging, demonstrating that institutional figures of the highest order are prepared to embody the values they publicly endorse.
The judge also reflected on an era not long past when the bicycle was the principal mode of transport for vast sections of the Indian population a time, he suggested, worth revisiting in both spirit and practice.
