Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Saturday called for appointment of independent, fearless people as judges.
Addressing a gathering at the centenary celebrations of Justice P.S. Kailasam, a former judge of the Supreme Court, he said judge should be appointed irrespective of caste, community and language. “If that is done, the system will evolve for the better,” he said while urging the public not to lose their faith in judges and the judiciary. “If you start doubting them, then we will face the same situation as in the bureaucracy, where the honest man does not want to take decisions as he will get into trouble,” he said.
On justice Kailasam, Justice Kaul said he had empowered his wife and encouraged her to be a writer and an orator and as a father he had ensured quality education to his children, allowed them to choose their life partners and be financially independent.
Justice Kaul released a commemorative stamp of Justice Kailasam, who was also a former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Actor Rajinikanth, who received the stamp, said it was in the 1970s that he was first invited to the Kailasams home and the association has continued till date. He recalled his discussions around spirituality with writer and orator Soundara Kailasam, wife of Justice Kailasam. “I once asked her how she gained such in-depth knowledge and she replied it was from her husband who was her guru,” he said.
Poet Vairamuthu recalled how he had met Mrs. Kailasam when he was in college and how she had wished him well. He said he was happy to see the grandchildren celebrate the centenary of their grandfather from whom they had drawn inspiration.
Justice P. R. Gokulakrishnan, former Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, recalled how as public prosecutor Justice Kailasam had appreciated his argument of sudden provocation in a murder case. Chairman of Kasturi and Sons, N. Ram, who recalled the many evenings he had spent in the Kailasams’ home, said Justice Kailasam did nothing excessive or unnecessary. His integrity was obvious and the quality of maintaining dignity at all times stood out, he added.
Former Union Finance Minister and a son-in-law of Justice Kailasam, P. Chidambaram, said his father-in-law was a very contented man. Industrialist Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti and advocate R. Gandhi recalled their association with Justice Kailasam. Vimala Ramalingam, the first daughter of Justice Kailasam, recalled how her father would car pool to the high court. “Though he was born in a family of Zamindars, he would never waste money,” she said.
Justice Kailasam was born in Salem in 1915 and studied law and enrolled in 1938.
