A section of advocates practising in the Madras High Court Bench here took out a rally from the court campus to the Collectorate on Tuesday to create public awareness of the ills of seemai karuvelam trees, an invasive species considered harmful to the environment.
Justice A. Selvam, the administrative judge of the Bench, flagged off the rally in the presence of Justices N. Kirubakaran, S. Vaidyanathan, P. Kalaiyarasan and R. Suresh Kumar.
Earlier, the judges walked along with the advocates from the court buildings to the main entrance to the campus. Designated Senior Counsel M. Ajmal Khan led the rally by walking all along the route even as another group of advocates followed them in cars and two-wheelers. A good number of women advocates too participated in the rally at the instance of the Women Advocates Association (WAA) in the Bench. The advocates were welcomed by District Revenue Officer Velusamy at the Collectorate where they addressed the government officials on the need to comply with orders passed by the Bench on a public interest litigation petition to eradicate seemai karuvelam trees in the State. Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA) president M. Subash Babu, Madras High Court Bench Advocates Association (MBHAA) president R. Andiraj and Advocate Commissioners R. Gandhi, K. Swamidurai and Senior Counsel N. Krishnaveni were among others who spoke.
In his address, Mr. Gandhi pointed out that it was the first time in the history of the Madurai Bench that it had given a positive direction to the State Government to enact a special law for a public cause such as eradication of seemai karuvelam . He urged the government officials to support the court in its efforts. Further, stating that it was also the first time that five judges of the High Court had flagged off a rally taken out by the advocates, he said that it exhibited the seriousness with which the judges were approaching the issue of eradicating the invasive species with the sole intention of ensuring a good environment for posterity.
