Madurai: The Temple City of Madurai was the second home for eminent jurist and former SC judge Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer who passed away in Kochi on Thursday. The legal luminary is a household name for the natives of Madurai. Many might not have seen him but almost all know the champion of human rights by his name. For, the community hall — one of the city’s landmarks named after him in his honour by the Society for Community Organisation (SOCO) Trust for which he had been a patron since its formation in 1982 has been spreading his name and fame as the doyen of civil liberties.
Justice Krishna Iyer, simplicity and equality personified, had made several visits to city to advocate for and establish human rights and was instrumental in the Madras HC setting up its bench in Madurai in July 2004. Recalling the jurist’s association with Madurai, human rights activist and SOCO Trust managing trustee A. Mahaboob Batcha says, “My relationship with him can be traced back to early 1980s when I got introduced to him through his books. Inspired by him, I studied law and involved in human rights activities.”
Mr Batcha’s marriage on Dec 23, 1985, was solemnized by Justices Iyer and P.N. Bhagwati who was then the Chief Justice of India, both pioneers of judicial activism. “Soon after the marriage ceremony, I accompanied them to Meenakshi temple and we all made arrangements for the legal aid programmes to be held later in the day. The justices launched the legal aid movement in Madurai slums, addressed street corner meetings in areas such as Obulapdithurai, NMRS Puram and Teppakulam, and carried the message of the availability of free legal assistance to the poor,” Batcha recalls.
His support and campaign through various forums for SOCO’s ‘Odyssey for Justice’, a yatra undertaken from Kanyakumari to Chennai for setting up HC bench in Madurai and constituting State Human Rights Commission in TN among other demands, bore fruit. “If not for his intervention, realization of these demands would have got delayed,” Batcha says.
SOCO has the credit of having published many of his books including ‘Women Unbound – A Plea for Gender Justice,’ ‘Death Penalty for Death Penalty’ and ‘Legal Service Authority: A Critique’ and biographies on him.
Senior Tamil journalist B.Tirumalai, who authored Manithaneyathirku Vayasu 100, a biography on Justice Iyer published by SOCO and released by him at Kochi on his 100th birthday on Nov. 15, says, “It is an honour for me to have him releasing his biography. A true defender of human rights, he told us on the occasion that we should work for ensuring a dignified life to women prisoners.” The trust’s deputy director S.Selva Gomathi too recalls the same words of hisand says, “He was a pillar of support for us and will continue to be a leading light.”
