Nariman was always willing to speak for what was right and just: CJI DY Chandrachud
New Delhi, Apr 4: The ultimate test of a moral person is their willingness to raise a voice for justice even when it means rocking the boat, said Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday while praising eminent jurist Fali S Nariman.
Speaking at a full-court reference held at the Supreme Court in honour of Nariman, who passed away on February 21, the CJI said his mental agility, dedication to work and commitment to the law remained uncompromised till the day he finally rested.
"The ultimate test of a moral person is their willingness to raise a voice for justice even when it means rocking the boat, and Mr Nariman was always willing to speak for what was right and just," the CJI said.
Chandrachud said Nariman’s life and career before our courts lived up to the highest ideals of the legal profession.
"No matter the client, the government or the case, Mr Nariman sought to advance a vision of the law grounded in liberty, equality and justice, the foundational values of our Constitution and ultimately, our society. No matter the occasion or the opponent, he conducted himself with grace and poise," he said.
The CJI said with the imposition of the Internal Emergency in June 1975, Nariman resigned as additional solicitor general.
"However, his continued accomplishments at the Supreme Court are a testament not only to his enduring legal prowess that saw him through turbulent times, but also to that finest tradition of the Bar in rising above the disagreements of the day to unfailingly serve their clients, assist the Court and work towards our nation's betterment," he said.
Chandrachud said Nariman always recognised that his highest duty was to the court and the Constitution despite appearing for countless clients of various backgrounds and creeds.
Nariman, a doyen of Indian judiciary, was part of several landmark legal proceedings that helped shape modern India, including the Kesavanand Bharati case in which the Supreme Court laid down the basic structure doctrine.
Nariman, 95, was born into a well-to-do Parsi family on January 10, 1929 in Rangoon, now Yangon, in Myanmar. His family fled to India during the Japanese invasion when he was only 12.
Nariman enrolled as an advocate of the Bombay High Court in November 1950 and was designated a senior advocate in 1961.
He practised law for more than 70 years, initially at the Bombay High Court, and since 1972, in the Supreme Court.
Nariman was appointed as the additional solicitor general of India in May 1972. He resigned from the post a day after the imposition of Emergency on June 26, 1975.
In his long and illustrious career, Nariman argued in several landmark cases, including the Bhopal gas tragedy case, TMA Pai case (rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions), J Jayalalithaa's disproportionate assets case and the case involving the National Judicial Appointments Commission, which was struck down by the Supreme Court.
Nariman, who was often referred to as the "Bhishma Pitamah" of the Indian judiciary, authored books including "Before the Memory Fades", "The State of the Nation", "India's Legal System: Can it be Saved?" and "God Save the Hon'ble Supreme Court".
He received the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honour, in 2007.
He was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in November 1999.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
