New Delhi : Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph, who created a fuss over the Chief Justice of India holding a conference of High Court Chief Justices on Good Friday, has excused himself from a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi to all judges and the chief ministers on Saturday night, saying he will be in Kerala for religious ceremonies.
Sources said several other judges may also have not turned up at the dinner hosted by the PM as the court is closed since Thursday and they may have gone home as all of them were not required to attend the conference, not even Justice Joseph who had protested over it being held on Good Friday.
Name of another Apex Court judge Vikramajit Sen, also a Christian, was bracketed by a section of media with the brother judge protesting against the 3-day meet from Friday, but Chief Justice H L Dattu on Saturday denied any disagreement or confrontation with him on the issue.
“There was no communication from his office or any disagreement with him. It has been wrongly reported by the correspondents,” the CJI asserted in a chat with reporters after a reception hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association on Saturday evening.
In a related development, retired Supreme Court Judge K T Thomas defended the CJI saying that a similar conference was held on a Good Friday in 2007 and “nobody even bothered” and “what the chief justices are doing is also a holy act – implementing justice for the people on a Good Friday for which Jesus Christ will bless them.”
Justice Thomas said the criticism today only shows that some people have become intolerant and “there are people who want to show that there is Christian persecution in India to which I don”t agree as there is no persecution of Christians in India.” He added that he is a Church-going Christian and “for the last 12 years, I am delivering sermon on Good Friday — a matter of my personal thing and belief.”
Notwithstanding Justice Joseph”s objection, sources said he was not supposed to attend the conference as such which is attended only by the CJI and top two judges (Justices J S Thakur and Anil R Dave) and 24 Chief Justices of the High Courts.
While thanking the PM for the dinner invite, Justice Joseph wrote to him on April 1 that he will be away from the capital because of Good Friday. “Good Friday is a day of great religious significance to us, marking the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Thus, it is customary for us to be part of the religious and other ceremonies with the parents, elders and other family members during the holy weekend. Hence, I would be away in Kerala during those days.”
Stressing that no important programmes be held during sacred and auspicious days, the judge wrote: “I know it is too late to reschedule the events. I request your Honour to kindly have in mind these concerns also while scheduling events and benevolently show equal importance and respect to the sacred days of all religions which are also declared as national holidays.”
He had earlier on March 8 written to the CJI, objecting to the conference of the chief justices on Good Friday, but the CJI ticked him off in an open court observation that the institution comes first before personal engagements and earlier too the conference was held on holidays.
Justice Joseph did not stop at declining the PM”s invite but went on to give a sort of lecture to him on secularism and his concerns that require the PM”s consideration. “Irrespective of the religion, Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Eid, Bakrid, Christmas, Easter etc. are great days of festival celebrations in the neighbourhood. Your good self would kindly appreciate that no important programmes are held during sacred and auspicious days of Diwali, Dussehra, Holi, Eid, Bakrid etc., though we have holidays during that period as well,” he said.
“Our religious and cultural festivals and hues, irrespective of caste and creed, have contributed to the vibrancy of our rich pluralistic culture and ethos. The whole world jealously looks at the beauty of the secular image, communal harmony and cultural integrity of our great nation. India must in these trying times, safeguard her credentials and be a model that other nations must follow,” he added.
