TOWER OF BABEL - PRESERVE NATURE

Serendipity Arts Festival is being organised in Goa for last few years. This year it was organised from 15^th to 22^nd December 2018. Khoj International Artists' Association, under the direction of Zuleikha Chaudhary, staged a courtroom drama. The background was that a luxury resort was set up displacing the poor and affecting landscape as well as ecology of the area. The setting up of luxury resort was upheld by the Supreme Court and thereafter due to public outpouring, a commission was set up to consider their concerns. I was requested to play the role of the judge commissioner. 

The drama was played on 16^th of December and venue was old Goa Medical College. I was given free hand to make my recommendation. One of the witnesses talked about Tower of Babel and his interpretation to it. This inspired me to have my interpretation to the myth.  Here is my decision and interpretation to the myth of the Tower of Babel.

LegalTrek - Drama

।। Samudra Manthan - Story of Progress।। 

Samudra Manthan - Story of Progress।।

Samudra Manthan - Story of Progress

Inter-linking of rivers is important but debatable: it destroys forests, natural habitats, and uproots people. Last year, Khoj International Artists' Association staged a drama ‘Landscape as Evidence: Artist as Witness’ to emphasise the importance of evidence of artists before taking such decision. The setting was that a decision of interlining the rivers was referred to a commission and the commission was too report back its finding on the same. 

The Association approached me to play the role of the judge commissioner. When I asked them what decision was to be given, they left that to me to take an independent call. In the process of listening the evidence and deciding the same, I had a new insight to mythological story of ‘Samudra Manthan’. 

Recording of evidence in the drama

Here is my decision and new insight to the old story। You can see the drama on the YouTube here

Life is Full of Surprises

At the end of my judicial career, I was a frustrated; unhappy about my decision in late 1990's for accepting judgeship: teaching 'Information Technology and Intellectual Property Rights for a semester in the Allahabad University did not elevate my spirits.
But joining back the legal profession, starting practice in the Supreme Court reinvigorated me. I met lawyers who had argued their cases in my court, clients whose cases I dealt with. This gave fulfilment and new meaning. Life often throws surprises in unexpected ways. Here is one of them.

न्यायाधीश का कार्यकाल समाप्त करते समय, मैं अपने अन्दर टूूट चुका था; नाखुश था अपने उस निर्णय से कि मैं न्यायाधीश क्यों बना: इलाहाबाद विश्वविदयालय में एक सेमेस्टर 'सुचना प्रौद्योगिकी और बौद्धिक सम्पदा अधिकार' कानून पढ़ाने के बाद भी कुछ नहीं बदला।लेकिन सुप्रीम कोर्ट में, वकालत शुरू करने से सब बदल गया। उन वकीलों से मिलना, जिन्होंने मेरे सामने बहस की, उन मुव्वकिलों से टकराना, जिनके मुकदमें किये - इसने जीवन में नये रंग भरे, लगा जीवन बेकार नहीं हुआ। हर मोड़ पर ज़िन्दगी, नये गुल खिलाती है। उन्ही खुशनुमा अनुभवों में से एक।

Picutre courtesy -  SASTRA University Thanjavur

Introduction to MC Setalvad

Picture from the book 'My Life'

This is fourth post of the series 'LegalTrek'. The last post was about, Lucknow Bench - Historical Necessity and before talking about the views of MC Setalvad, the first Attorney General and the Chairman of the first Law Commission of Independent India about benches and Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, I thought proper to write about my introduction to that great lawyer. 

LegalTrek

How I Became A Lawyer।। Allahabad High Court Is Born।। Lucknow Bench - Historical Necessity।। Introduction to Setalvad।।

LegalTrek - How I Became A Lawyer

Allahabad High Court was established in 1866. This year is one hundred and fiftieth year of its existence. On this occasion Allahabad High Court has planned a year long activities. It kicks off today, among others, in the presence of the President and the Chief Justice of India.

On this occasion, I plan to write a series titled 'LegalTrek'; about the incidents and cases that in a way shaped the Court's as well as my life. Perhaps, this may be useful, instructive. However, in between the posts of the series, there would be other posts as well. 

This post is about, why I chose  the professional of law.

Allahabad High Court - From centenary volume

LegalTrek - Personal

Life is Full of Surprises।। How  I Became A Lawyer।। Allahabad High Court Is Born।।

INDEPENDENT INDIA'S DARKEST PERIOD

It is first post of the series 'It Lies In The Heart'.

Internal emergency was imposed 40 years ago. My father VKS Chaudhary was first detained under DIR then under MISA. He was released after emergency was lifted. Here are some lessons from that time.

My father, VKS Chaudhery, was detained during emergency. He was released after emergency. Here he is being brought after he was released from jail.

WHERE THE CLOUDS COME HOME

It is about Shillong and it's people

Meghalaya- where the clouds come home declares a tourist brochure. Well, it's literally true. And they come home quite frequently. The Khasi tribe dominates Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, and their language is Khasi. They use the Roman script. Khasis have a matriarchal society: husbands go and live with their wives. If there is more than one daughter then it is the youngest one who gets the ancestral house. Children take their mother's surname.

Khasis are simple people. When I was in Shillong, I asked a girl with red cheek if the red on her cheeks was natural. She immediately started rubbing her cheeks to show that it was.

Taxis in Shillong do not have a meter. They behave like Rickshaw-wallas, except for the fact their rates are more or less fixed. They also have shared taxies. No taxi exclusively hired by anyone. If seats are available, one can always hail a taxi though it may be partly occupied.

One should not reach Shillong after 5 pm. It is difficult to find accommodation. We had the misfortune of reaching Shillong at 8.30 pm. There was a Khasi boy, Ben, with us in the bus. He spent one hour with us trying to locate our contact in Shillong. May be the Meghalaya government should add in its brochure: Meghalaya, the land of helpful people.

ELECTION AT AMETHI

This article is about about democracy in action; it is about 1989 election at Amethi between grandsons of two of the India's greatest leaders - Raj Mohan Gandi and Rajiv Gandhi.

KALYAN SINGH REINSTATED

Kalyan Singh was Chief Minister of UP. He was illegally removed by the Governor only to be reinstated by the Allahabad High Court. This is an account of that saga. 

Raj Bhavan Lucknow picture courtesy official website of  the Raj Bhavan UP