Opponents of Gowri’s Elevation Forgot Justices VR Krishna Ayer, K S Hegde and Baharul Islam


The Supreme Court has done a great service to the country by dismissing the petition filed by some advocates with vested interests against the elevation of Advocate LC Victoria Gowri (now)the judge of the Madras High Court. They have been so overactive to stop her swearing-in that they first mentioned the case on Monday morning but when it was to be listed on Friday, they became jittery and again mentioned on Tuesday morning to stop her swearing, which was slated at 10.35 am on the same day. As is normally seen that in such matters a group rather than a gang of lawyers, journalist and so-called intellectuals take up the cudgel to ensure that a plan that goes against their interests are frustrated.
The lawyers of the Madras High Court who filed their petition in the Supreme Court against LC Victoria Gowri and those who were ready to lap it up have actually shown disrespect to the decision of the Supreme Court collegium, utter disregard to the constitution, which provides for the liberty of thought and freedom of speech and expression to every citizen and vehemence of their opposition to the government in power at the Centre and particularly to justice Victoria Gowri. Although it is not the occasion to critique her statements and views about Christians and Islamicists, there is hardly anything to disagree with her. In fact, her opinion about the proselyting Christians and Jehadi Muslims is very mild because the reality is more alarming than what she said.
Perhaps these busybody Johnnies are not aware of the fact that famous Justice Dinshaw D Davar before becoming the judge of the Bombay High Court was the Advocate of Tilak Maharaj, but nobody raised an objection that why was he being elevated to the judgeship. So much so, MA Jinnah was appointed By Bal Gangadhar Tilak himself to conduct his case as the defence lawyer in 1897 in the Bombay High Court. This is being stated here to prove the point that a person playing the role of advocate casts off his colour and political ideology when s/he becomes a judge. Therefore, the maligning campaign started against Ms Gowri speaks of the sick mentality of the advocates and their supporters.
Those who were up in arms against Victoria’s appointment only remembered that she subscribed to a political philosophy but conveniently forgot that an eminent judge like VR Krishna Ayer was not only sympathetic to a political party but was a minister in the communist government of Kerala before becoming a judge. Similarly, Justice K S Hegde before being a judge in the Supreme Court was a Member of Parliament. After relinquishing the judgeship, he again swung into politics and became the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Justice Baharul Islam was an MP before he was made the judge. There are examples galore of such judges who after demitting their offices became the MPs and even Ministers in many governments. Therefore, those who opposed the elevation of Justice Victoria Gowri can be called to be rabidly communal and anarchist otherwise they would not have behaved in such an imbecile manner as they did.