BEAUTIFUL CHHATTISGARH

(Text of speech of Chief Justice yatindra singh in the chhattisgarh high court on ovation function on 29.10.2012.
A pdf format of the talk can be downloaded from here.)

My Brothers, Members of the Bar and Registry, ladies, and gentlemen

नमस्ते, जय जोहार, and a very good morning to all of you.

With due apologies to George Orwell, all colours are beautiful but some are more beautiful than others; green is one of those: after all it is colour of nature. If all greenery was to vanish today then life will come to end: no oxygen will be produced and carbon dioxide will kill us. I am glad that I have come to Chhattisgarh that is full of green and has 44% of its area covered by beautiful forests.

Rice varieties

The day before yesterday I was at science express. There I learnt that Chhattisgarh houses nineteen thousand varieties of rice. It was a revelation to me. Even if I eat different variety of rice with each meal I will not able to taste all of them in this lifetime. I have to be born again and this time in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh has another distinction. It has the best sex (991 females per 1,000 males) as well as the child-sex ratio (964 females per 1,000 males) in the country. This can only happen if women are respected. I am glad to come to such a State.
I am also happy that I have come to the State  that has no power cuts, ample of electricity, yet chooses to invest  a huge amount of money in solar energy, where the solution to energy crises lies: the future of our energy resources.  It is always a good policy to invest in futures. This is what we should also do: invest in our future.

There are many ways how we can invest in our future but the best way is to build strong, healthy bar and bench relationship.

The lawyers and the judges, the bar and the bench, are the integral part of the judicial system.  No judge can be a great judge unless the court has great lawyers and its reverse is equally true – no lawyer can be a great lawyer unless the court has great judges. We not only inspire but uplift each other.

Today is my first judicial day in the court and this function is the first one that my brothers have organised to build healthy bar and bench relationship. I congratulate them for organising it and you for cooperating in the same.  I am sure that in times to come, we will achieve much more.

The biggest challenge to our judicial system is mounting arrears. One of the ways to tackle it is to have good and efficient judges but selecting a good judge is a complex issue. Nevertheless, legal delays can be tackled with better utilisation of information technology and management techniques.  This will be another area to work upon.

'The fundamental human right is not to a legal system that is infallible but to one that is fair.'  This is what  Lord Diploch said in Mahraj vs. Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago 1978(2) All ER 670.

There are many factors that ensure fairness. Perhaps, transparency is the most important one: it not only restricts but prevents unfairness. There is always room for its improvement. God willing, we will be able to do a lot in this area.

I wish to point out one aspect; it is an advance apology.

I have come from a court that will soon complete 150 years, to a court that in  comparison is a baby court. In the Allahabad High Court, traditions  have already set in: here traditions are being set and may be different e.g. you call this function as ‘ovation’ and we called it ‘reference’.

I may have strong views on traditions and might make some mistakes in adopting yours. Please bear with me, do give me benefit of doubt. I love Allahabad High Court and its bar; it is very close to my heart, but would like to leave it behind  everyand be a part of Chhattisgarh High Court and its bar.   Please help me in achieving this.

A lot has been said about me but bar is the best judge of all judges. I will consider my elevation here as fulfilled if, in a similar function, at the time of laying down the office, the bar says that I have come up to their expectations.

Let me finish by saying that मय आप मन से ये कहत विदा लेना चाहत हौं कि इहां छत्तीसगढ़ उच्च न्यायालय के मुख्य न्यायधीश होके मय अब्बड़ गदगद अऊ सम्मानित महसूस करत हौं।  अऊ आप मन के रंग में रंगना चाहत हौं। काबर कि छत्तिसगढ़िया सबले बढ़िया।

Thank you so much for organising this function.

जय हिन्द

Advasi women in Chattisgarh

Note- The second and the third pictures are from the Wikipedia.