My fight is to clean up judiciary: Justice Chelameswar

VISAKHAPATNAM:   Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar on Saturday questioned as to why people were quiet even when faced with problems in the society and pointed out that turning a blind eye to them was also a crime.

Warning that such an attitude would lead to deterioration of moral values in the society, he said, “Though am old and about to retire, I am fighting to clean up the judiciary. Many colleagues and friends appreciated me on my recent actions and praised me for doing a good job.” And then, he questioned, “Why are they quiet about what they are facing in their day-to-day lives? Why me and why can’t they?” 

Justice Chelameswar was speaking at a function held to honour veteran journalist ABK Prasad here. 

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He opined that an educated person ought to raise his/her voice against every wrong in the society. “Media must do a lot in this context. Journalists must work hard to bring out the truth and create awareness among the people about all the things that are not right,” he advised. If not done this way, the whole system will perish in due course, he cautioned and stressed, “Many people live in fear of all things. But remember.. if you raise your voice for truth and justice, no one can do nothing to you.” 

In the same breath, he observed that in our democracy which follows the first past the post system, whoever comes first forms the government. “None of the parties gets more than 50 per cent vote share. At most, some get 34-35 per cent. Yet, they claim that whatever they say is the gospel. Those who oppose them are labelled as anarchists,” he pointed out, in what could be read as a dig against the national parties.  
Justice Chelameswar also went down the memory lane, recalling his association with ABK. “Our relationship is 30 years old and one day, ABK came to me and said ‘Please remember the poor and weaker sections, whenever you are going to deliver a judgement’. I was inspired with those words,” he reminisced. Later, ABK Prasad was felicitated by Justice Chelameswar.