July Ank 2018 Curve

A Tribute to Justice Rajindar Sachar Chaman Lal The death of Justice Rajindar Sachar on April 20, 2018 marks the end of an era of the human rights movement in India. As a champion of the citizens’ rights and in a class of his own Justice Sachar influenced a generation of social activists and his example will continue to inspire the courageous and endangered tribe of the advocates of Social Justice and defenders of human rights. He will be remembered particularly as the inspirational source behind the contribution of the PUCL towards the enrichment of the human rights jurisprudence through a series of PILs filed in the Supreme Court of India. (1986-88) and also defied the terrorist politics Although I had known Justilce Sachar from of the government. I had thus earned a short his speeches and writings since 1970s, I was stint of celebrity status, or notoriety as many formally introduced to him a little after my of my colleagues felt in the last decade of retirement from the IPS in September 1996 my career. I am sure this might have by Dr. Yash Pal Chibbar, the PUCL General prompted the PUCL to accord me the honour Secretary for years. In our very first meeting of delivering the annual J.P. Memorial Lecture ‘the young old man of 73’ struck me as a fresh at Ahmedabad in November 1996. The text enthusiast full of ideas and ready with action of my lecture was published in the PUCL plans. He reminded me of the other human Bulletin of May, 1997. I had, in my address, dynamo, my mentor Shri K.F. Rustamji, the covered the issue of Fake Encounters (Extra- legendary Police Officer who raised the judicial Killings) which was the hot public issue Border Security Force (BSF) in 1965. those days and still persists in a much uglier I can legitimately claim a distinction that I and brazen form. I told the audience that my did not get engaged with human rights only experience in Punjab and the North-east had after my retirement. I had, while still in active taught me that fake encounters are not only service, practiced the not-so-easy legally prohibited and morally repugnant but professional ‘Dharma’ of working within the also professionally counter-productive. bounds of law, respecting the limitations of Justice Sachar was very fond of quoting this Police functions and powers and portion of my lecture while speaking on demonstrating that it is possible to provide a terrorism. He would invariably emphasise the reasonably efficient and fair policing without point by adding – ‘This is not what I am saying violating human rights and ethical norms. I as an activist or a former judge. This is the had, publicly questioned Mr. K.P.S. Gill’s practical opinion of a Police Officer who has methods of combating terrorism in Punjab handled terrorism in challenging times and July 2018 THE RADICAL HUMANIST 3 difficult situations.’ in the humanitarian intervention of the I served as a Special Rapporteur on Pro- Commission to mitigate people’s sufferings. Bono basis in the National Human Rights Justice Sachar was also visiting the cyclone Commission (NHRC) from 1997 to 2007. The affected areas around the same time together PUCL was actively engaged in spreading with PUCL workers and holding public human rights awareness and facilitating hearings for the victims of the unprecedented submission of citizens’ complaints about disaster. He heard from the people about the human rights violations to the Commission. Commission’s intervention and my work at Besides enjoying my intimacy with Dr. the grass-roots level. I was pleased to know Chhibbar rooted in our college days in Dehra that he had publicly praised my performance Dun, I came to know from close quarters the and mentioned this to Shri Surendra Mohan, three wise elders of the PUCL family – the veteran Janata Dal leader and social Justice Sachar, legal luminary K.G. activist. This helped in removing an unpleasant Kannabiran and the eminent journalist Kuldip misunderstanding that had arisen in Shri Nayar. The PUCL, through the efforts of Dr. Surendra Mohan’s relationship with the Chhibbar, under the guidance of Justice Commission. Shri Surendra Mohan was angry Sachar was playing a significant role in the with the NHRC and had, in an outburst on evolution of the NHRC’s relationship with the telephone, blamed Justice M.N. NGO sector and enhancement of its Venkatachaliah, Chairman and me for lack of capacities. Dr. Chhibbar was nominated as a sensitivity and slow response to a matter member of the NHRC Core Group of NGOs relating to a tribal community of Betul (M.P.). on my suggestion. He was extremely regular It took me quite some time to recover from in attending the Group’s meetings and was the hurt caused by the totally unjustified heard with respect. He used our personal reprimand from Shri Surendra Mohan. After equation to apprise me regularly about he knowing about my work in Odisha from important PUCL matters awaiting the Justice Sachar, Shri Surendra Mohan was, Commission’s attention. I would, most of the surprisingly and contrary to his nature, time, succeed in getting them expedited. I demonstrably extra nice to me on one or two used to feel proud in being called by Dr. occasions, expressing in his own Chhibbar as ‘Our man in the NHRC’ for the magnanimous way the regret for his hasty small services. negative opinion about the Commission. I monitored the relief and rehabilitation In his glorious career as a member of the work following the super cyclone of 1999 in higher judiciary, Justice Sachar headed a Odisha. I visited all the affected districts (14) number of Commissions, Committees and first to assess the extent of human and Study groups including some UN assignments material loss and then every six months to on important issues of public interest. He was monitor the implementation of NHRC’s highly respected in professional circles for his recommendations particularly the special talent and extraordinary flair for disbursement of cash compensation for the reviewing the current legislations in their loss of life and destruction/damage of houses. adequacy to deal with the fast changing I can say with pride that I had worked there situations of a dynamic society of great with a rare kind of frenzy as a none-man team complexity and multiple diversity like ours. I of the NHRC and earned all round would, however, consider his report on the appreciation for my passionate involvement Status of Muslims in India as the single largest 4 THE RADICAL HUMANIST July 2018 contribution in service to the nation. In implementation of the Sachar Committee recognition of his enviable reputation as the report, upgrade its recommendations in the champion of the rights of the vulnerable light of fresh inputs emerging after its sections of society, the government appointed submission and ensure its full Justice Sachar as the head of a Committee implementation. constituted in 2005 to report on the social, Justice Sachar was an extra-ordinary economic and educational status of Muslims person who loved ordinariness in everything in India. The Sachar Committee report – his food, his dress and his habits of life. He submitted in 2006 is the first comprehensive was a noble soul, a superior intellect and a study of the highly important long-neglected practitioner of high ethical norms who would issue. never make the other person feel small in any The report stirred the conscience of the way. Humility was the most striking feature secular sections of society by its startling of his personality. Under the influence of Dr. revelation that the plight of Muslims in India Chhibbar, he became a believer in the is worse than that of S.C.s and S.T.s. After efficacy of homeopathy. He was a regular going through the Sachar Committee report, client of our common friend Dr. K.P.S. Dhama I feel myself closer to Justice Sachar in a and would visit his clinic (Pratap Pharmacy, certain way. Right from my school days, I Kotla) regularly for his common ailments. He have been a firm adherent of Jawaharlal would silently take his position on a bench in Nehru’s views on fundamentalism of the small waiting lobby. Dr. and Mrs. Dhama majority and minority types. Nehru strongly (also a doctor) would come out of their cabins felt that the minority fundamentalism arising to greet him and persuade him, never with essentially from fear and insecurity can e success, to allow them to attend to him out of explained and dealt with effectively by an turn. efficient and non-partisan law and order Justice Sachar was a rationally religious machinery. It is the majority fundamentalism man of a perfectly secular outlook. It was that poses the greatest danger to our republic touchingly reflected in the choice of hymns and its constitutional values that is far more and bhajans sung at the prayer meetings difficult to handle and should therefore be organised by the family, particularly his totally unacceptable. As a police officer with favourite ‘Shabad’ Mitter Piare Noon.... experience of working in several states, I Justice Sachar had a philosopher’s mind and have observed the deprivations of the Muslim a rebel’s heart. His was the face of the community in the in the matter of access to Buddha radiating peace, harmony and the basic needs of life such as food, housing, equanimity. He was a saint in his thinking and education, health care and livelihood. They a Sufi in his living. How can one not miss a are victims of discrimination in terms of gem of a person like Justice Sachar? But how arrests, prosecutions and convictions relating can anyone among his admirers stop feeling to communal riots, an ugly reality of post- his presence around despite his final 1947 India.

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