History was created in India yesterday and it is being said that this can be a move towards real change, which would put the nation on the world map as a progressive torchbearer.

We believe that the journey has only just begun and there still remains a long journey ahead of us, in terms of securing the rights of the LGBTQ community.  

Nonetheless, the ripples of change shall be felt in the years to come and push the nation and its youth to move towards building a more welcome and compassionate society, that treats all its members equally and ensures they get the respect and love they deserve.

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However, while we rejoice over the verdict today, we must not forget the incredible people who deserve all the credit for this monumental decision and that has to be the five-member constitutional bench that ruled out the prolific verdict yesterday and changed the fate of millions.

Meet the five heroic judges who upheld the essence of justice and liberation in its truest sense: 

1. Justice Indu Malhotra

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An empanelled lawyer, who sought protection for the LGBT community from sexual harassment, Justice Indu Malhotra also happens to be the first female lawyer who was upgraded directly from the Bar as a Supreme Court Judge.

She became the second woman who occupied the chair of a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, after Justice Leila Seth.

Justice Indu Malhotra also spearheaded SC's 2015 verdict that ensured unmarried mothers could have legal guardianship of their children without the father's consent.

Upon yesterday's verdict, she said that “history owes an apology to the members of the LGBT community for all the persecution they had to go through.”

2. Justice DY Chandrachud

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Justice Chandrachud is the former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and is also a former judge of the Bombay High Court. He was also a part of the nine-member bench that declared Right to Privacy as a fundamental right in the country.

Yesterday, he stated that this verdict was long overdue for the discrimination being meted out to a community, for which the people sought a firm remedy.

3. Justice Deepak Misra

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The current Chief Justice of India, who will be remembered to have survived one of the Indian judiciary's most turbulent periods. He was the head of the bench that delivered the death sentence to Nirbhaya's killers, as well as the bench that dropped Yakub Memon's plea to hold off his execution.

Post the declaration of the verdict, Justice Misra stated that “denial of self-expression is akin to inviting death.” That's just about the correct way to put it.

4. Justice AM Khanwilkar

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The former Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Khanwilkar was on the bench that allowed medical termination for the pregnancies of two minor rape victims in Delhi and Bangalore.

He was also on the panel of judges that dissolved the petition seeking a ban on Malayali author Hareesh S.'s novel 'Meesha'.

Yesterday, he said that Section 377 has been felled only partially and while the law shall not apply to consensual same-*** acts, it shall still be applicable to forced sexual acts without consent.

5. Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman

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Son of renowned jurist Fali Nariman, Justice Nariman was earlier practising as a senior counsel at the Supreme Court.

He was part of the bench that disposed of the Cyber Law which gave the police extensive powers to arrest anyone deemed to be posting “offensive comments” and was also on the chair that delivered the monumental judgement against Triple Talaq.

Yesterday, he stated that the nation must recognise that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and the government must take adequate steps to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma attached to the LGBT community.