Dignity and equality in the courts of justice…

Dignity and equality in the courts of justice…

Today, December 10, is the Human Rights Day! It was 65 years ago the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was to ensure that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in terms of dignity and rights.’ It is no one’s gift, but every one’s birthright by the very fact that we are born human. And the agency to ensure is every government worth the name.

Social action groups and movements have struggled all along to see it a reality and of course the judiciary has accordingly asked the concerned governments to defend and fulfill those rights, especially of the vulnerable and marginalized.

India, all along was supportive of this great instrument, and ensured it through its very Constitution. However, the scenario is not that satisfactory, especially with its still colonial bureaucracy and police. But it is glaringly poor in the very judiciary, which should have championed it. Why at all the judiciary prefer to be more equal? The court, the salutations, the dress code and the very conduct of the court is ‘unquestionably’ more colonial and feudal still! [The Hindu, Opinion, ‘Making human rights a reality’ by K. G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission and former Chief Justice of India,  Tuesday, December 10, 2013].

The language still remains to be that of 19^th or 18^th centuries’! A court officer, the lawyer can’t say that he ‘understands the point the judge is making.’ This would be rude, if not contempt. He is expected to ‘appreciate what falls from his lordship!’ [The Hindu, Open Page, ‘Will the judges smile please?’, by Neerad Pandharipande, Sunday, December 8, 2013] Who won’t be enthralled before beauty, truth and justice? It has to be natural and not demanded for any reason whatsoever. Judicial officers seem to demand, go to the extent of threatening or suggesting ‘contempt’! It is a clear sign that they don’t deserve it. It is like ‘empty vessels making noise!’ Respect has to be commanded by one’s noble behavior and wisdom rather than demanded in the name of any office held. It is not a place of intimidation, but one of justice, of equal justice for that matter and dignity due to every human being which the courts of justice are bound to ensure more than any other government machinery.

To conclude, let me quote K. G. Balakrishnan in the above opinion, ‘The splendor of human rights has to be maintained with nobility and glory. There cannot be any wearing down of values, deterioration of quality or any cobwebs in the procedure.’ It is high time that judiciary ‘sheds some of its more obsolete baggage and takes a look at its lighter side’ for the comfort of all who come seeking justice from their vexed problems and the dispensers of justice who are otherwise in a self-imposed cell of ‘decorum’. (panky 10^th Dec 2013).

நீதி சமூகம் படைப்போம் ...

நீதி சமூகம் படைப்போம் ...

 (வழக்குரைஞர்கள் தினம், கோட்டார் சவேரியார் பெருவிழா 27.11.2013) 

வாசகம்:

ஆமோஸ் 5:14-15, 21-24-

வேதாகமம் அறிமுகப்படுத்தும் கடவுள் நீதியின் கடவுள்... ஆபேலுக்காக காயேனைத் தட்டிக்கேட்கும் கடவுள், எகிப்தியர்களின் சுரண்டலில் தவிக்கும் மக்களை விடுவிக்க வந்த கடவுள், கடன்களை பொறுக்கும், நிலங்களை ஏழை எளியோருக்கு திருப்பி கொடுக்க தூண்டும் கடவுள், தனது நூறு ஆடுகளை தவிர்த்து பிறனது ஒரே ஆட்டை விருந்துக்காக கொன்றதை தட்டிக்கேட்கும் கடவுள்... நீதி தவிர, அல்லது அதற்கு ஈடாக மற்றெதையும், பலிகூட ஏற்காத இறைவனை, இறை வாக்கினர் ஆமோஸ் படம் பிடித்து காட்டுவதை கேட்போம்...

கலாத்தியர் 5:22-24

ஆவியின் கனி, குறிப்பாக அன்பு உள்ள இடத்தில் சட்டத்திற்கு இடமில்லை... சட்டம் வெளியிலிருந்து வருவது, யாரேனும் கட்டளை இடுவது. அன்பு உள்ளத்திலிருந்து வருவது, உணர்ச்சியாக தானாக, இயற்கையாக வருவது. ஆக, சட்டம் கிறிஸ்துவால் மாற்றப்பட்டு அன்பினால், ஆவியால் நிறைவு செய்யப்பட்டது. கலாத்தியருக்கு  பவுல் இவ்வுண்மையை விளக்குவதை கேட்போம்...

விசுவாசிகளின் மன்றாட்டு:

1. ஞான மேய்ப்பர்கள், திருப்பணியாளர்கள் மற்றும் துறவியர்: மேய்ப்பனின் ஒரே தகுதி இயேசுவை அன்பு செய்வதே... இயேசுவோ 'மிக சிறியோராகிய என் சகோதரர் சகோதரிகளுள் ஒருவருக்கு செய்ததை தனக்கே செய்ததாகவும், செய்யாததை தனக்கு செஇய்யாததாகவும் சொல்லியிருக்கின்றார். மேலும் பணி  ஏற்கவன்று  பணியாற்றவே வந்த அவரை பின்பற்றி இறையரசு கனவை நனவாக்க இவர்களை தூண்டவேண்டுமென்று இறைவா உம்மை மன்றாடுகிறோம்...

2. ஆட்சி பொறுப்பாளர்கள், அரசியல் தலைவர்கள்...: உமது பிள்ளைகள் எங்களுக்காக முடிவெடுக்கவும், சட்டங்கள் இயற்றவும் இன்னபிற எமது எதிர்காலத்தை நிர்ணயிக்கும் இவர்கள் பிறர் நலம், பொது நலம் பேணி மனித மாண்புடன் நீதி, நேர்மை நிலை நாட்டி எங்களை நடத்தி செல்லும் அருள் இவர்களுக்கு தரவேண்டுமென்று இறைவா...

3. இல்லறத்தவர்: மானிடம் தொடர்வது, இறைமக்கள் பிறப்பது, வளர்வதெல்லாம் இல்லறமெனும் நல்லறத்தால்தான். நமது தலைமுறை எவ்வளவோ இன்னல்களுக்கு ஆளாகி நிற்கின்றது. காரணம், தவறாக வளர்க்கப்பட்ட தலைமுறையே. 'இயேசுவைப்போல இன்னொரு பிள்ளையை பெற்றெடுத்து 'ஞானத்திலும் உடல்வளர்ச்சியிலும் மிகுந்து கடவுளுக்கும் மனிதருக்கும் உகந்தவராக்க' பெற்றோரை ஆசிர்வதிக்க வேண்டுமென்று ....

4. நோயாளிகள், முதியோர், தனிமையில் வாடுவோர்...: நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டோரை பரிவுடனும், பாசத்துடனும் நடத்திய இயேசுவே, மருத்துவ புரட்சியின் நடுவிலும் நோயின் வேதனை தாங்கும் மக்களை, முதுமையின், தனிமையின் துயரங்களை அனுபவிக்கும் மக்களை கருணைக்கண் நோக்கியருளும், ஆரோக்கியமும் ஆறுதலும் அளித்தருள வேண்டுமென்று ...

5. சிறுவர்கள், இளைஞர்கள்: நாளையின் நம்பிக்கை நட்சத்திரங்கள் இவர்கள். 'ஒளி படைத்த கண்களோடு, உறுதிகொண்ட நெஞ்சோடு, வலிமைகொண்ட தோளோடு கருத்தில் தெளிவும் உறவில் கனிவும் கொண்டவர்களாக இவர்களை மாற்றவேண்டுமென்று ...

6. தொழிலாளிகள்: படைப்பு நிறைவு பெறுவது உழைப்பினால்,தொழிலினால்... இன்றைய முன்னேற்றம், வசதி அனைத்தும் உழைப்பின் பயனே, உழைப்பாளிகளின் படைப்பே. அவர்களுக்கு போதிய ஊதியமும், ஓய்வும், மற்று தேவையான அனைத்தும் தந்து உலகத்தை உயர்ந்ததோர் இடமாகக, இறையரசாக்க தேவையான அருளை வழங்கவேண்டுமென்று ...

- பங்கிராஸ் அருளப்பன் (வழக்குரைஞர், திருவனந்தபுரம் மாவட்ட நீதிமன்றங்கள் )

Better to be hated than ignored...

'Better to be hated than ignored' was a title on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. This title made me reflect on some of our relations.

In order to hate some one, one needs to love him/her first. Love could also imply knowledge. Ignoring some one amounts to state that i don't care whether you live or not! It is as if that person doesn't exist at all. It is a kind of removing some one from our life, annihilate from our considerations, if not thoughts.

Some people whom we ignore, consider it convenient to carry on with their agendas, especially the ones with power.

Children at the crossfire of marriage...

Though 'marriages are said to have been made in heaven' , many of them break down even before the take off! stage! People seem to be intolerant and not accomodating these days. This may be due to the nuclear family/ scooter family/ one child family and so on. There is no give and take in such families. Being the only child, whatever they ask for is given and they also develop adamency. All these together bring forth an unaccomodative husband/wife. Somehow, before that they might have given birth to a new life which is  being tossed in the storms of life. Parents don't usually care for the child. When two elephants quarrel or fight, the sufferer is usually the grass underneath. In the same way, it is the child/children who bear the brunt of family oddities as they are the most vulnerable. Somehow, we seem to ignore that they are going to be the torchbearers of tomorrow.

Let us be more considerate and compassionate for the children to pave way for a better future for all of us on this planet of life. "Kozhi oru koottile, seval oru koottile; kozhikknuju randum ippo anpillaatha kaattile!" "Kuzhanthaiyum deivamum gunatthaal ontru/ kuttrankalai maranthuvidum manatthaal ontru/ nadanthathellaam ninaippathuthaan thuyaram entru/ jnaanikalum methaikalum sonnaar antru.// Ucchiveyil sooriyanai megam mooduthu/ nam ullam enum sooriyanai kopam mooduthu/ kaatru vanthaal marupadiyum megam maaruthu/ pesi kalanthuvittaal kopam maari nesam aavuthu"

Let us bring them up as children of God, that is what they are. "Entha kuzhanthaiyum nalla kuzhanthai thaan mannil pirakkaiyile/ avar nallavaraavathum theeyavaraavathum annai valarkkaiyile."

Underdevelopment, a challenge against Human Dignity, a Human Rights question…

‘…God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ Gen 1:27. ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath…’ Mk 2:27. Man is the measure of everything.

Hear the words of Sri Aurobindo:

‘A deathbound littleness is not all we are:                 

Immortal our forgotten vastnesses                                                   

Await discovery in our summit selves;                                     

Unmeasured breadths and depths of being are ours.’

It might have been the great Upanishadic truths like ‘Tatwamasi!   Soham!’, meaning ‘Thou art that! I am Brahman!’ enabled him and others to consider man as a spark of the divine, if not divinity itself. That is why Jesus also asked his listeners to be perfect as his heavenly father is perfect. Mt 5:48. Man’s call is not anything less than becoming divine. ‘…God does crown him with glory and honour.’ Ps 8:5. The dignity for which man is heir is no one’s concession, not even any sovereign. It is so inherent of humanity, of being human and none can take it away. This greatness endows certain freedom, freedom of the children of God! Rom 8:21.

Man along with myriads of living and non-living organisms, inhabiting this earth, if not the other planets as well, has to be its custodian and not its selfishly dominant and exploitative master. He has to keep it a cosmos and not chaos to his own destruction in the not far long future and nurture for the times to come. ‘Development’ in tune with the rhythm of nature will sustain man along with all other organisms. The backlash due to greedy over exploitation we feel so powerless to resist could be avoided, if only we care for the nature and its resources.

This dignity entails equality besides the liberty of we referred earlier. No one is above anyone else. All claims contrary to this are claims of interest and so be ignored as such. What is latent in every one of us will reach its fullness unless some of them are not denied of possible opportunities. History, in spite of it being recorded by the dominant ones, betrays such atrocities throughout. The domination onslaught was many a times presided over by the ‘religious’ and as such was justified, though there won’t be many takers for that in our times. A latest revelation on this count was reported in the ‘Hindu’ on 21^st February 2013!

Such atrocities go on in almost all the religious institutions with less pay, more working hours, no safety provisions and so on. Mind you, they carry on with such exploitation with offerings made to gods! They conveniently, rather consciously forget the high handed intervention of god at such times. Ex 3:7. They possibly can’t escape that situation which is so imminent like ‘Damocles’ sword.’

The human dignity we are speaking of expects certain minimum requirements such as food, clothing and shelter. All this, I think, Jesus referred to as ‘bread’ when on request he taught them to pray for the daily bread. This can’t be denied to anyone, not even to the birds of the air and lilies of the field. Mt 6:26ff. That is why he seemingly complained of having nowhere to lay his head. Mt 8:20. Food certainly includes water, that too worthy of drinking; and shelter will include toilets facilities for health and hygiene.

These basic facilities are denied to a great number of people in India! Why speak of India, when one can look down on one’s own backyard for these deficiencies. The recent reports on the water scarcity in the coastal villages, besides the reporting some time back of public defecation along the coast in certain part of our diocese should shame us all in a state which publicizes itself as ‘god’s own country’! May be that it is the duty of the governments; however can’t we do something from our part when we squander money on skyscraper like churches and comparatively palatial rectories, let alone the innumerable shrines on all nook and corners obstructing traffic and so on.

It is a well known fact that the literacy among our people in this capital district of the state which claims universal literacy! Where does the public fund go, when most of our schools even are miserably maintained and children neglected. Don’t we have a right to know what are we doing with all that money comes from within and without? When the church clamor for many other otherwise ‘insignificant’ ‘rights’ like the ‘minority right’ and lobby or negotiate with the government, presenting impoverished state of being as underdeveloped, why don’t they insist for such basic necessities which will certainly instill some self-esteem which in turn would make them slowly independent?  [to be continued...]

'Slave labour' in the Catholic Church still!

The Hindu of Thursday, 21^st February 2013, Thiruvananthapuram edition in its page 11 brought out story by Henry McDonald, regarding the apology of Ireland for ‘slave labor’ at Magdalene Laundries, a Catholic Church institution.

It is no surprise for the insiders at least! The church never fails to speak of justice while keeping its own labor force poorly paid and kept without the usual facilities and benefits due to a labor elsewhere. 

They are made to work extra hours and without statutory rest, holidays and other safety requirements. It seems to exploit their vulnerabilities like unemployment and so on quite often. Besides, Church men are known not to treat them with dignity and esteem, amounting to human rights violations.

While enjoying all the perquisites like free accommodation, electricity, telephone and sometimes vehicle also, they seem to tolerate the minimum requirements workers need. They preach poverty for others, while they themselves won’t practice it, in spite of their vow of poverty besides that of celibacy/chastity and obedience! Justice, the core concern of the scriptures is ignored conveniently! The anawim/poor of Yahweh is despised at every possible opportunity, and are exploited enough.

Can the church, being one of the biggest multinational employers, come out with its pay scales and other labor related policies? Justice needs to begin there, not from the pulpit!

Development, a human right...

Human right springs forth from the fountain of divinity latent in the human person, so we understand from the scriptures of most of the religions. This is not to exclude the atheists. May be they are atheists, because they believe more on the worth of man than  on god himself, in the patriarchal terminology. 

Humanity, as we see it today, is understood to have been evolved from 'a hairy quadruped, arboreal '. Evolution naturally vouches for development, and that too 'towards supramental achievements. The supreme secret of Creation is Development' which could be claimed 'as the driving force of his very raison d'etre. Human life should rise 'to higher forms and fuller manifestations'. 'If perfection is the human potential and divinity his immortal essence, human rights, in their fullness and richness, must mean the plenary unfolding of the human personality.' It is not the development of things as to that of human person, which was emphasized by the Cocovoc Declaration.[to be continued...]

Lawyer at last...

Lawyer at last...

Was thought to be a lawyer by many since so many years without a law degree or being enrolled as an advocate! While i was a student of law at the Law Academy, a reporter of a religious magazine published an interview with me introducing me as a lawyer! However, it was only on Sunday, 9th September 2012, after my law degree from the University of Kerala, i was enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council of Kerala. [K/791/2012]

From the following day onwards, started practice with a reputed and senior advocate of the Trivandrum Bar, Adv. Celine Wilfred. In her nearly half a century of practice, she was thrice Public Prosecutor, and that too continuously. This culminated with the membership at the Bar Association of two century old Trivandrum Bar Association on 1st November 2012, along with Ms. Elizabeth Antony, wife of Union Defense Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony.

As the new law graduates are expected to get qualified of an All India Bar Examination of the Bar Council of India, i got qualified on 13th February 2013 with AIBE Roll No:140033.

Adv. PANKIRAS Arulappan

Eugine Herbert & Associates, TC 27/1775(1), Trivandrum 695035

K/791/2012 (9th September 2012)

Certificate of Practice from the Bar Council of India: AIBE/04/K/0322 (1st June 2013)

Certificate of Membership at the Trivandrum Bar Association on 1st November 2012

High Court of Kerala Registration: P811 (7th October 2013)

Lok Ayukta: 4786 (28th September 2015)

Trivandrum Bar Association Advocate Code: 89 

Kerala Advocate’s Welfare Fund Trustee Committee Membership Reg. No:BCK/000014/81/025633/ Dt:27-05-2022 w.e.f 09/09/2012

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                                                                                      TRUSTEE COMMITTEE 

                                                                                       Authorised Signatory

Transaction Reference:                                                                             BHD5FF70P484PH 

Order ID:                                                                                                   135946-XPXA2P 

Payment Mode:                                                                                          Bill Desk 

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