About 20 uniform-clad inmates of Jan Seva Sishu Bhavan, lawyer C.G. Ajitha, and judicial officer L.S. Sathiyamurthy had their own reasons to come to Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the city on Friday.
With folded hands and prayers on their lips, they inched their way to reach the platform where the body of legendary jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer was kept, to bid adieu to the person who had touched their lives in unique ways.
The children, led by their mentor Jose Maveli, recited a prayer for their dear ‘Krishna Iyer Uncle’, who was a constant source of support and inspiration. As the song ended, someone shoved them to the exit route to make way for VIPs who had reached the spot to place a wreath and pay respects.
Ms. Ajitha came from Cherthala to pay her respects to the jurist who helped her in shaping her professional life. A letter of recommendation from Krishna Iyer ensured her a seat at a law college and became her ticket to the legal world. A lawyer for nearly two decades now, Ms. Ajitha remembered how Krishna Iyer supported her when it was most needed.
Several judicial officers, both from the subordinate and higher judiciary, and retired judges of the High Court, also reached the venue to pay homage to the late legal jurist. L.S. Sathiyamurthy, a sub-judge from Salem in Tamil Nadu, was one among them. The judicial officer, an ardent admirer of the jurist, had travelled to Kochi twice in the last 20 days with the sole purpose of meeting Krishna Iyer. The first trip was on November 15 to release his book, ‘Voice of the populist jurisprudence’ on Krishna Iyer. On his second visit to Kochi on Friday, Mr. Sathiyamurthy paid his last respects to the jurist, who inspired the author with his exceptional legal wisdom and pro-poor jurisprudence. Representatives of some NGOs and lawyers from Chennai had also come down to Kochi to pay homage to the legal wizard, he said.
Leeba Ratheesh, a victim of alleged custodial violence for whom Krishna Iyer had raised his voice, also came to get a final glimpse of the tireless campaigner of human rights and justice.
Literary critic M.K. Sanoo and C.K. Ramachandran, companions of Krishna Iyer during his evening walks, stood silent and lost in memories near his mortal remains as people queued up to get a glimpse of the departed jurist.
The day witnessed the who’s who of Kerala society descending on the stadium. The visitors included Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan; State Ministers Aryadan Muhammad, K. Babu, K.M. Mani and P.J. Joseph; Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany; K.V. Thomas and P. Rajeev, MPs; Thomas Issac, V.D. Satheesan, Hibi Eden, Benny Behanan, Anwar Sadath, Saju Paul, A.P. Abdullakutty, T.V. Rajesh, MLAs; Chief Whip P.C. George; Advocate General K.P. Dhandapani; Director General of Prosecution T. Asif Ali; LDF convener Vaikkom Viswan; CPI leaders Panniyan Raveendran, C. Divakaran, K.P. Rajendran and K.E. Ismail; Congress leader Vayalar Ravi; Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra; Greater Cochin Development Authority chairman N. Venugopal; and BJP leaders V. Muralidharan, P.K Krishnadas, A.N. Radhakrishnan and M.T. Ramesh. Several heads of religious groups too reached the city to pay their last respects to the jurist.
