Supreme Court bids farewell to “pro-labourer” Justice V Gopala Gowda

Justice V Gopala Gowda was given a fitting farewell today at the ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association. What emerged from the ceremony was a very flattering picture of the Supreme Court judge; a man with the most elusive of virtues among those in power – humility..The ceremony was compered by SCBA Secretary Gaurav Bhatia, while senior counsel and SCBA’s Vice President, Ajit Kumar Sinha, delivered the welcome address. The ceremony saw a revisitation of some of Justice Gowda’s most seminal cases, including the Singur Land Acquisition case..Justice Anil R Dave, who delivered a speech in the absence of Chief Justice TS Thakur, referred to the retiring judge as a “judge with heart”, considering his various judgments in which he upheld the rights of the underprivileged..Delivering a rather patriotic address himself, Gowda lauded the rich culture and heritage of the nation. The otherwise soft-spoken judge beseeched his brother judges to keep in mind the interests of the marginalised, the protection of which alone would be the true hallmark of justice..Describing himself as a “pro-labourer” judge, he added,.“The Supreme Court is not meant just for the ‘haves’. Even the ‘have-nots’ must come to the Supreme Court. If we don’t protect them, there is no hope for the country..Go back to the very inception of the Constitution and it is only the judiciary which is responsible for protecting the rights of the people of this country.”.He also had a few words for the media, and their habit of manipulating news to suit their needs. And when it came to his own post-retirement plans, the judge said that he intended to take up the cause of the downtrodden sections of society in his home town..He also recalled that he had often been asked what it felt like to retire, and his answer to it was always the same,.“I am the happiest man today. I will go and sleep well, with the knowledge that I have rendered my services to the best of my ability.”.With Justice Gowda retiring today and Justice Nagappan having retired on October 3, the Supreme Court now has five vacancies.