11.10.07 bulletin latest Oct.07.p65 - City Montessori School

CMS BULLETIN - SPEECH OF SUPRREME COURT JUDGE OCTOBER 2007 (4)
(Continued from page 3)
66. Unique features of CMS introduced by
Jagdish Gandhi
(1) Student Quality Control Circle concept
in education (2) All Religions Prayer (3)
World Peace Prayer Ceremony (4) Children’s
World Parliament (5) Teachers' Home Visit
Scheme (6) Model Class Presentation (6) FM
Radio Stations and Film Division for
promotion of meaningful education (8)
World Citizen’s dress, an exquisitely
designed dress containing national flags of
all UN member nations (9) Children’s
International Summer Village (CISV) Camps
(10) International School to School
Experience Exchange (ISSE) programme (11)
CISV mini camps are some of the regular
features of CMS education introduced by
Jagdish Gandhi.
67. A new dimension in education
Thus the second daughter of Mr Gandhi, Dr
Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, became the saviour
of his soul. On her advice, as his spiritual
mother, he renounced politics forever and
committed himself totally to the noble cause
of education. This has enabled him to make
continuous efforts for building a bright and
safe future of the 32,000 children of CMS as
well as two billion children of the world and
the generations yet-to-be born. Jagdish
Gandhi wants to make children Good and
Smart, a Gift of God to Mankind, a Pride of
the Human Race and a potential Light of the
World. The idea which appears utopian
today will become a reality tomorrow.
68. Message of World Unity on Eid and
Deepawali
Jagdish Gandhi believes in Unity of God,
Unity of Mankind, Universal Brotherhood
and World Peace. Being a Baha'i, he believes
in the teachings of the founder of Baha'i
religion, Baha'u'llah, who said 'So powerful
is the light of unity that it can illumine the
whole world.'
On the occasion of Deepawali and Eid he
conveys his greetings to all Principals,
teachers, parents of CMS and people of
Lucknow for their happiness and prosperity.
May these festivals illumine our souls and
unite us in their luminosity.
—Ratan Chandra Gupta
Former Joint Secretary, Law and
Parliamentary Affairs, Government of U.P.
General Secretary, CMS
(Mr. Ratan Chandra Gupta is a close friend
of Mr. Jagdish Gandhi since childhood. They
studied together in school and university).
(Continued from page 1)
Speech of Chief Guest
Hon Mr Justice Sirpurkar,
Judge, Supreme Court
Advocates Supreme Court attending the
Seminar on Empowering the Interntional
Court of Justice at New Delhi
Gandhism and Gandhi thought for the rest
of the year — but that is a different matter.
What I am trying to point out is that an idea
when it is conceived, there has to be a
visionary to develop that idea. I congratulate
Mr Gandhi for developing this idea. Now
see how beautifully he has picked up. We
have England, we have America, Bosnia,
Serbia and what not. But one thing is very
common in all the countries and that is
children. There is yet to be a father or there
is yet to be a mother born who doesn't love
his child. What Mr Gandhi probably has
thought in developing a beautiful school is
that feeling of love, the parental love that
every person has. I him, you, everybody
— we all have that parental love and any
idea if it is to be developed has to be based
not on hatred, but on love. Unless an idea,
a concept is based on love, it can never
develop. Because, the moment the idea is,
say, based on competition, based on hatred,
'I want your head, you want mine', 'I want
this state of yours, you want mine' — if this
is the idea, then that idea can never become
a global idea. Parental love, love of the
mother, whether she is a Serbian mother,
whether she is an Afghan mother, whether
she is a Bangladeshi mother, she remains
a mother.
And therefore, the focal point of the
brotherhood had to, and very rightly had to,
begin with children. Therefore, he created
a beautiful school.
Now if the idea had to be international, there
had to be some other factor which is
common in all the countries. Apart from
other aspects, which is the most common
aspect governing all countries? That
common aspect was law. And, that is how
probably Mr Gandhi turned to law. The
development of law, the adherence of law
— no country says that we are a jungle
country. Every country will say, we are
governed as per our own laws. Law is a
common aspect for all the countries of the
world. There are 192 countries including
veto countries and non-veto countries are
also included.
Once you catch one common aspect, then
only you can continue. So here are now two
common points. One point was the children
— everybody would care for the child, his
or her own child. The second common point
was law. And then how to bring that law
together was the idea of calling of the
conference of the chief justices. This was
probably what was in his mind and while
Mr Gandhi was speaking, I was thinking as
to why should this man who is living in
Lucknow, running a school, is a teacher,
should call for an
International
Conference of
Chief Justices
and the judges of
the World. This
was probably the
idea: the
children linked
with law, the law
linked with
judges, the
judges linked
with society, the
society linked to
the whole world.
This is how he has
created this chain. And truly who could
have thought of all this? I had laughed at
Justice Desai when Justice Desai called
me. I said, 'What is going to happen? People
will come, eat, drink and be merry'. Justice
Desai told me: 'No brother, it will not be just
eat, drink and be merry.' No. There will be
deliberations. Each judge who represents a
country, be it African country, European
country or Asian country is concerned
about his child and therefore, he will be
concerned for the world, because today's
children are going to be tomorrow's world.
When I became the Chief Justice of
Uttaranchal and I had an invitation to attend
this Conference. I have an invitation now
and I want to see how these persons from
different cultures, different civilizations,
different political thoughts, different
backgrounds, different economic and
financial positions — how do they come
together and yet do not fight, yet live for
good long 5-6 days, deliberate with each
other and bring out something.
See, unless you churn the butter milk, the
butter does not come. There has to be a
churning process started. What happened
when the atomic power was invented. They
went on, they went on and on. It was a
churning of thoughts and ultimately they
found a tremendous atomic power. This is
the power that we are in search of, through
the children. We want an atomic power, our
atom is the child. And we want that power.
Mahatma Gandhi was also once a child,
Nelson Mandela was also once a child,
Lincoln was also once a child. Yet these
children when they developed they effected,
they impressed and they were relevant to
the whole world.
We will, therefore, have to take this idea
further. And then came the idea of
empowering the International Court of
Justice. You all are lawyers. You know
something was spoken about enforceability.
You all know, day in and day out that section
9 decree under Hindu Marriage Act can
never be executed'. Section 9, the restoration
of conjugal rights decree can never be
executed. I am yet to see a lawyer who has
not filed a suit under Section 9. All lawyers
do go after that. You forget about the legal
nuances and legal complications,
enforceability is not everything and all. The
whole idea of bringing these judges together
is to start a thought in the world, which
thought will translate via the International
Court of Justice. The International Court of
Justice will act as the vehicle, as the conduit
and the International Court of Justice would
be impressed by these thoughts and ideas
which are noble ideas.
Mr Gandhi spoke about the vetoing
countries, non-vetoing countries. Well, as
George Orwell said: All animals are equal,
some are more equal than others. Similarly,
all the 192 countries are equal, but the veto
countries are probably more equal. We have
to bring that equality together. We have to
distribute that equality in a most equitable
manner. But how are we going to do it. The
only way you can do it is through the law.
And again, let me tell you, merely because
there is no enforceability to the judgments,
that doesn't become less relevant.
We are in a country and we are in an era
when, brothers and sisters, don't forget
today every sixth person living in the world
is an Indian. If we
start thinking,
then one-sixth of
the world thinks
in this way. Let's
not be afraid of
our numbers. Our
number is our
strength. Let's
use our numbers
as the strength,
as this is how we
will be able to use
our tremendous
numbers as our
strength.
Much has been
spoken about pending litigation and this
and that. I am a very positive man. I look at
only the good side, the bright side and I see
the number of Indians in the world as the
strength of India. Again, the idea to catch
the children — very recently we have won
the 20-20 World Cup, a matter of great
pride. But what was the idea? The idea was
'catch them young'. Catch the young
persons, catch your Sreesanth who is 17
years, catch that Pathan who is 20 years
and so on and so forth. So, when we catch
them young, we will be able to make a strong
team. Whether it is hockey, whether it is
cricket, humanity also, catch them young.
If 32,000 children understand what the
humanity is, understand what the human
rights are, understand the importance of
peace and see their thoughts reverberate
in not one, not two, not three, but 100-200
chief justices and judges of the world. See,
we have created them as lifetime
ambassador for peace. The idea is also,
'What am I going to do alone'. It's such a
tremendous task. If I am not able to do, what
this one man Jagdish Gandhi, or one man
Gupta or one man Justice Qureshi or one
man can do? What are they going to do in
this world?
Rabindranath Tagore has written a beautiful
poem. I don't know how many of you are
Bengalis. I'll translate the poem. He said: Ke
loibe amaar kaaj, bollo sandha roobi
(Who will take my job, asked the setting
sun), Suniya saara jagat niruttar (When
this question was thrown to the world, the
Mr Justice I. Venkatanarayanan, Mr Justice A.S.
Qureshi & Mr Jagdish Gandhi attending the
Seminar on Empowering the Interntional Court of
Justice at New Delhi
whole world remained silent). Who can
answer, who will do the job of the sun.
Mateer tore deep chhilo (There was an
earthen lamp). The lamp said: “Whatever I
can do, I will be able to do”. See, that earthen
lamp answered the mighty sun, that well, 'I
may not be the sun, I may not be able to
light the whole world, but whatever I can
do, I will do. My dear brothers and sisters,
all of you have to be the lamps, that earthen
lamp. Don't think that you alone cannot
light the whole world. Think what you can
do. By coming here, you have proved that
you are those potential lamps. And if those
lamps, if those students who have come from
Afghanistan, who have come from Dhaka,
who have come from Mauritius and Fiji and
other far off countries, if they go back with
a lighted heart, then we have been able —
these wise persons sitting here, or those
wise persons who are going to come for
that conference — have lighted so many
lamps, who are prepared to think for the
world. This takes me to the issues. Much
has been said about the issues. When
would the question of enforceability come?
When the issues are such, in which there is
a conflict amongst two nations.
Then you know the present International
Court of Justice has, for example: it's not
Justice Sirpurkar Vs so and so, or Justice
Venkatanarayanan Vs Justice Qureshi. It
has to be India Vs so and so – some country.
Now if the issues are such which create a
conflict or have the potential to create a
conflict, then of course, the question of
enforceability will come because then there
will be I Vs You, He Vs She. It will not be I
and You. It will not be You and Him. I was
thinking that somebody will touch the issue
of the environment. Each of us, each country
is suffering from loss of ecology. Supreme
Court came out with the doctrine of trust in
that hotel matter. The Kyoto Protocol has
also been signed for the purchase of carbon
credits. Some countries are left to grow the
jungles, while others say that we will
industrialize ourselves and leave carbon in
this world, causing global warming. We are
told everyday that because of global
warming, the Arctic area is melting and soon
a day will come when the sea level at Chennai
or at Bombay will go up by about two
metres. I have seen the devastating results
that happen when the sea level goes up.
This was when I was the Chief Justice of
Calcutta High Court and Andaman Islands
came within the jurisdiction of Calcutta High
Court. So in order to give morale to my
officers who were serving in, say, Campbell
Bay or Carr Nicobar, I went up to Campbell
Bay. I am telling you the story of Campbell
Bay.
What has happened is, because of this
tsunami, one plate in the Indonesian-
Sumatra has come up. With the result, the
water level in Campbell Bay, Carr Nicobar
and Port Blair has also gone up. We had a
court in Campbell Bay. My junior division
clerk who has to go in the day of high tide,
has to wade through this deep water.
Brothers, till we are sitting in Delhi, in this
beautiful air-conditioned hall, we are not
going to realize what the people have gone
through. It's all right to see the TV, it's further
all right to see next day the papers along
with a very tasty cup of tea and then think
about as to what had happened. You have
(Continued on page 8)
Foreign students with the Chief Guest
Hon'ble Mr Justice Sirpurkar, Judge,
Supreme Court attending the Seminar on
Empowering the Interntional Court of
Justice at New Delhi
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.