Justice Surya Kant (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary, senior-most SC judge Justice Surya Kant Thursday said their life and philosophy guided humanity to focus on villages, self-reliance, simple living and giving a voice to rural masses.Speaking after visiting the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the apex court’s premises, Justice Kant, said, “Pujya Bapu’s focus on villages, self-reliance, and simple living allowed him to represent majority of Indians, giving a voice to rural masses in the larger political narrative and reinforcing a unified national identity. I felt humbled by the thought of his immense courage and the sacrifices he made for our nation’s freedom,” he said.“For Gandhi ji, true freedom was never confined to the attainment of political sovereignty; it was measured by the dignity accorded to the most vulnerable and by the assurance of justice to those at the margins of society.” Justice Kant said.