KOCHI: The title ‘Living Legend of Law,’ the accolades, the love of both friends and foes and encomiums vouch for his exemplary life. Justice V R Krishna Iyer’s birthday falls on November 15 but it is being celebrated at the High Court Auditorium on Saturday morning in which Vice-President Hamid Ansari will felicitate him. Even as Iyer turns 97 he strives hard for the betterment of the deprived and the underprivileged.Rajappan Muringodi, a social activist in the city, takes a trip down the memory lane. He said: ‘Keralanadinte Keliyunarthiya Kesariyanee Krishna Iyer’ were the words that boomed from the speakers during the felicitation ceremony organised across the state for the nine members of the EMS Ministry after it was dissolved in 1959. The crowd echoed the words and even reached out to the dais when Krishna Iyer spoke that day. As a 14-year-old Rajappan got to squat near the dais for the function held at Vypeenkara. Krishna Iyer’s handsome figure draped in white shirt and ‘mundu’ could be traced in the glow of petromax light.His booming voice still echoes in his ears, recalls Rajappan who got to interact with Iyer from 1969.Krishna Iyer is unhappy that most of his proposals are still on paper. Krishna Iyer told Express that development without justice is meaningless. More facilities such as potable water, sports and communication are needed in villages.The marginalised has to be remembered in any future planning. Two Planning Commissions are necessary and each should specialise in the requirements of the areas.The disparity is reflected in the judiciary too. “Today the Executive and all high officers are in the cities. The villagers, who do not have transport facilities, have to go the city to get their grievances redressed. The High Court, the district courts and the lawyers are mostly in cities. Access to justice is becoming more difficult. Denial of liberty, basic needs of communication and transport and access to justice is not democracy.Change is the order of things.” “We must have touring judges of High Courts and cheaper justice delivery system. Free lawyers and legal aid must be provided for by the state. I had made reports for development of children and egalitarian gender justice to the Central Law Commission but nobody is concerned about them. We should consider longterm development and not wasteful schisms, factions and groups,” Krishna Iyer said.
Comments
0 comment