Kanhaiya Lal Misra speaking during centenary celebrations of the Allahabad High Court
Command Over Language Is An Asset
One Sentence Changed The Fate।। Advocate General taught English To Me।। Misfortune of Being Opposed by KL Misra ।। Present Evolves Out Of The Past।। Has Rhetoric Any Place In Court?।। Ruling May Not Choke My Intelligence।। Well Read Person - Best Prepared For Law।।
Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar 'Guruji' (19 February 1906 – 5 June 1973) was the second Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Whenever he was in Allahabad, he used to stay with us and I had great interaction with him. After his death, a condolence meeting was organised at Purushottam Das Tandon park.
Many people spoke and many messages were read. KL Misra could not personally come due to his ill health but had send his condolence message in Hindi.
The only thing I remember of that meeting is his message that was read by my father. It was most touching and the best.
There is another incident, without which story of KL Misra would be incomplete.
Sometime ago, I had described the visit of President S Radhakrishnan to Allahabad for centenary celebrations of Allahabad High Court in 1966. He was reputed to be the finest speakers of English language. At that time, I was in 11th class and our English teacher asked us to hear him.
In his welcome speech, Chief Justice NU Beg (father of herbal expert Shahnaz Husain) talked about great past glory of the Allahabad High Court.
When President Radhakrishnan got up for his inaugural speech, he admonished the Chief Justice by reminding him of his remarks after a hymn that raised concern of the writer/ singer regarding their presence at time of Jesus’s crucifixion:
"Why are you raising these hypothetical questions whether you were there two thousand years ago or not? The problem is what are you doing today. You are crucifying the Lord today, at the altar of racial bigotry, national egotism.”
He also observed,
“When I heard my friend, the Chief Justice, talk about the glories of Allahabad from ancient times, I was reminded of a verse which says: 'Do not talk to me about ancient glories. Let me know what you are at present doing.' It is not necessary for us to take pride in our past.”
Well, well, you do not come to the High Court and insult our Chief Justice, even if you are the Chief Guest of the function and President of India. He had to be appropriately answered but who would do that.
There was no one but KL Misra, who was upto the task. However, he was not slated to speak. Nonetheless, he was requested to speak on a short notice. And what a brilliant speech he gave – a befitting answer to the President in the language, yet to be surpassed, outshining and pushing the speech of President Radhakrishnan into oblivion. I have read and reread it many time. The following words, still resonate in my ears.
“Mr. President, I have received your warning that we must not refer to our past. But, it is not easy to think of the present without reference to the past; for, the present evolves out of the past and projects into the future. I also cannot resist the temptation of speaking about the past, because of the things for which Allahabad has always stood. It has stood for its hospitality and has a reputation from ancient times, for providing occasions for the gathering of the learned ... And by coming together, they participate, with us all, in the glory of Allahabad, having its beginning, in the mists of antiquity, from the time of Harshvardhan ... By coming together today on this historic occasion and providing us with the sight of the assemblage of persons of learning and wisdom, unlike any other, Allahabad has ever witnessed, they have enabled us to fulfil and perpetuate the second glory of Allahabad ...
Mr. President, it is the memory of these three things, not merely the passing of a hundred years, it is the memory of our permanency, it is the memory of our traditions, that have been kept unbroken, and the memory of what this High Court has stood for a hundred years, that we are celebrating today.
The Chief Justice has spoken about the Centenary of the future. It is not easy to say, and I myself would not dare to forecast what this country would be hundred years hence; but I am absolutely certain that, if we would be celebrating a second Centenary and if we would be having, on that occasion, visitors from Mars and from Venus and even from other planets and stars, they would still be able to say that this High Court has continued its traditions of justice, independence and impartiality. Mr. President, it is with that hope and confidence that we thank you most deeply for gracing this occasion.”
At that time, I aspired to become a physicist and never gave any importance to language. This is one of the regrets of my life. Do not make the mistake that I made - language is the vehicle of communication, submissions: it is important; it should never be ignored.
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