Political Diary
New Delhi, 6 September 2014
From Your Lordship
To Jee Huzoor
CONSTITUTIONALLY
JUST NOT DONE!
By Poonam I Kaushish
Public office has a lot to do with perception. Wherein, your
actions do the talking. Alas, last week the blindfolded scales of justice got
talked down to when the politicos got embroiled in a slugfest over the unprecedented
appointment of former Chief Justice of India S Sathasivam as the 23rd Governor of Kerala. An
onslaught which threatens to undermine the independence and impartiality of the
judiciary, a crucial bastion of our democracy. With the devil taking the
hindmost!
Who could imagine that the man flashing the Constitution, cracking
the judicial whip and doling out unpalatable orders to culprits would one day
succumb to political temptation himself? Raising a moot point: Has Sathasivam
forgotten his halla bol against the
political cesspool, the root cause of corruption? His repeated emphasis on
values and integrity? All blown to be tenant of Raj Bhawan?
Moreover, how will his
appointment effect the dispensation of justice? Could not millions of litigants
think that a judge would be soft on the Administration on the eve of his
retirement in the hope of reward?
True, Justice Sathasivam is
correct when he asserts there is no Constitutional or legal bar restraining him
from being appointed Governor of a State. And neither has he violated protocol.
In fact, the Justice Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State relations is spot one when it desired
eminent persons being appointed to State Raj Bhawans. Even the Restatement of
Judicial values does not bar a former judge from holding another Constitutional
office. Neither is a merely an issue of creating a wrong perception.
Yet, it goes beyond this on
several scores, from the serious to the mundane. One, it has lead to serious
role reversals. Pertinently, a Governor is appointed by the political
Establishment and continues to hold office “during the pleasure of the
President.” Arguably, the very political class and babudom as CJI he could summon to court can know tell him to
resign.
Further, as Governor he enjoys
little discretion and has to follow the dictates of the Chief Minister. In one
fell stroke the former CJI has blurred the arms length distance between the
Executive and judiciary.
Besides, as Chief Justice of India, Justice
Sathasivam was fourth in the order of precedence after the President, Vice
President and Prime Minister. Today as Governor he is sixth in the order of
precedence. Look at the irony. He was sworn-in by the acting Chief Justice of
the Kerala High Court, the judge whom he administered the oath of office.
What Governor Sathasivam doesn’t seem to realize is that by
his decision to accept Governorship he has inflicted an avoidable hurt to this
important Constitutional pillar. A body blow that would not be easy to recover
from. Once the “Conscience Keeper” of democracy falls prey to the political
sharks, there is no salvation but a steady slide downhill.
Arguably, by offering Sathasivam a political lollipop, the BJP-led
NDA has violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Future CJIs might well
be more than willing to bend rules in favour of a particular Party in the hope
and expectation of reaping political rewards post retirement.
Blame the ex-CJI all you want, but this is not the first
time. Over the years our leaders have eroded judicial impartiality without
outwardly violating the letter of the Constitution. Trust them to find a lacuna
and brazenly and blatantly exploit it. By merrily taking advantage of the
“silence” of our Constitution framers.
Recall, Sathasivam’s erstwhile colleagues Chief Justice of
India Subba Rao whose veneration for
his famous judgments in the Golaknath and Kharak Singh cases got tarnished after
his decision to contest for the office of President. And India’s first
Attorney General M C Setalvad castigated famed jurist MC Chagla for accepting
Nehru’s offer of ambassadorship.
What to speak of ex-CJI Ranganath Mishra who accepted
Congress nomination to the Rajya Sabha and Justice Baharul Islam-turned-Congress
Lok Sabha MP. Or Punjab and Haryana High Court
Chief Justice Rama Jois turned-Governor- BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Supreme Court Judge-turned
Congress Rajya Sabha MP-turned Janata Party Lok Sabha MP-turned-Speaker KS
Hegde.
Yet again, the country’s first woman Supreme Court judge
Justice Fatima Beevi was appointed member of the National Human Rights
Commission post her retirement in 1992. In 1997, Beevi was appointed Tamil Nadu
Governor where she was in the eye of a political storm over her decision to
ignore established Constitutional norms and anoint AlADMK supremo Jayalalithaa
as Chief Minister in 2001, notwithstanding she could not contest the Assembly
poll due to her conviction in a corruption case.
So unlike the practice the
world over. In the US Supreme Court judges are appointed for life. In UK, people cite
the example of Lord Denning who opted to practice in the Court of Appeal after
his stint in the House of Lords. He went down in the protocol order, but up in
respect of Britons.
Sadly, the malaise is not only limited to CJI’s, judges of
the Supreme and High Courts but other holders of Constitutional offices such as
CAG, CEC and Election Commissioners who wily nily accept post -retirement jobs,
political or otherwise or enter politics. India’s second CEC, KVK Sundaram
was made the Chairman of the Law Commission on retirement.
More. In the early eighties the Central Vigilance
Commissioner RK Trivedi was handpicked and appointed CEC. In 1986 he was
rewarded with the Governorship of Gujarat within months of retirement for
having served the interest of the ruling Congress in Assam. Former CAG TN Chaturvedi was
elected by the BJP to the Rajya Sabha and thereafter appointed Karnataka Governor.
So much for upholding Ambedkar’s principles!
I remember a famous anecdote in 2004 when the then ex-
Punjab Chief Minister Badal reprimanded former CEC MS Gill for accepting the
Rajya Sabha MP-ship from the Congress by underscoring those who held august
offices should not contest on Party tickets. Retorted Gill: “Maine
koi theka liya sau saal da”.
Clearly, the BJP does not appear to have been well-advised
in appointing Sathasivam. This unfortunate decision can only snowball causing
grave injury to the system unless the statute is changed to bar Chiefs of
Constitutional Offices like CJI, CECs, and CAG etc from accepting further
appointment by the Government on retirement.
Plainly, such a step is needed to preserve and protect the
independence of the judiciary since nobody seems to care a damn for healthy and
time-honoured conventions. This is all the more necessary in view of the
“aberration nee pattern” that is slowly
but surely seeping into the body politic --- and is certain to receive
encouragement from the tragic Sathasivam episode.
Undeniably, the
arms-length distance between the Executive and Judiciary along-with mutual
respect needs to remain intact even after demitting office. If the arms length
is swapped by a warm embrace, it warns of grave danger.
Can India
afford to allow persons holding Constitutional offices to accept “rewards” from
the political Establishment after retirement? This does not auger well for the
CJI’s post and the future of India’s
democracy. ------ INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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