Burden of bringing happiness to Manipur fallen on judiciary: Justice Rajiv Shakdher at farewell of Justice Siddharth Mridul

Justice Siddharth Mridul bid farewell to the Delhi High Court on Wednesday after his elevation as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court was recently notified by the Central government. .During the farewell organised by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) and the reference organised by the High Court, judges as well as leaders of the Bar said that Delhi's loss will be Manipur's gain, even though Justice Mridul's job in the violence-hit State will be difficult.Speaking at the event, Justice Rajiv Shakdher remarked that the burden of bringing happiness to a place (Manipur) filled with sadness has fallen on judiciary and that Justice Mridul will do his best. "The burden of bringing happiness to a state full of sadness has fallen on the shoulders of the judiciary...It is a challenging place but I am sure he (J Mridul) will manage the situation very well," Justice Shakdher said. .Meanwhile, Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that the citizens of Manipur will greatly benefit from Justice Mridul's presence and he will ensure their confidence in the due process of law. In the farewell reference organised by the High Court, Chief Justice Sharma said that there will be a void in the Delhi High Court with Justice Mridul's departure. .In his address at the Bar's farewell, Justice Mridul said,"I will not stand in the way of the lunch organised by the Bar, just like I did not want to stand in the way of Justice Manmohan and Justice Rajiv Shakdher getting their due and becoming Chief Justices. We have all been here for way too long and it is with a sense of pride that I will say that the senior-most puisne judges of this court are the senior-most judges of the country.”.In the farewell reference, Justice Mridul said that the Bar and the Bench have always worked together in Delhi to secure for liberty and justice for the people.He talked about the death of his father and said that being the eldest of the three siblings, the responsibility to take care of the family fell on him."I was still a student at the Campus Law Centre. As the eldest child, I was faced with a situation where we were left without a wage earner in the family. I had to take charge. Many a time, I thought of giving up my dream of becoming a lawyer and taking a job. But by his grace, I succeeded."He added that he will miss the beautiful city of Delhi and all the courts where he has practised."I have never said no to anybody who has approached me who wants to be a law researcher and I have never said no to anyone who wanted to intern with me."Addressing the younger members of the Bar, Justice Mridul quoted Albert Einstein and said, "You never fail untill you start trying.".Justice Mridul was appointed as additional judge of the High Court of Delhi on March 13, 2008 and as a permanent judge on May 26, 2009. The Supreme Court Collegium recommended his elevation as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court in July. The Central government notified the transfer this week.