Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Getting an opportunity to give succor to the distressed is a great blessing from God and we shall be grateful to God by utilizing it to the maximum, according to an eminent jurist. “When you see a destitute man begging for help in the street, you have to see it as the great opportunity bestowed by God to win His pleasure by offering whatever you can to support him,” said Justice B. Kemal Pasha, a retired judge of Kerala High Court.

He was delivering a lecture based on ‘honesty in public life’ during a reception hosted for him by the Jeddah chapter of the Pravasi Malayali Federation (PMF). Anil Narayana, president of Jeddah PMF, presided over the function. Citing a famous quote of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Nation of India, that “service to humanity is my religion,” Pasha said: “getting service is the right of those who are entitled to have it and hence we have to deliver it promptly.”

Pasha shared with the elite audience his vast experiences in delivering justice as a ‘common man’s judge’ for nearly two decades. He was bold in pronouncing judgments without any fear or favor and that perhaps antagonized many power centers. In an interactive session with the audience, he spoke about the dark underbelly in the judicial system and how he managed to stand firm and remain clean, delivering justice.

Pasha lamented that corruption has crept into the veins of even the polity of judiciary, which is the last resort of the public to secure justice. He emphasized that judges are servants of people who have to execute justice in a fair and impartial way, strictly sticking to the set of laws with upholding values. Lambasting those corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, he said that such people are assuming that committing corruption is their birthright.

“I managed to save many honest government officials who had been under constant threat of disciplinary actions and settling scores for booking corrupt politicians. We have to corner those who involve in corruption even by hook or by crook,” he said, while noting that power politics and greed to earn money are the major factors that make politicians and officials corrupt. He asserted that judiciary shall be free and it shall not succumb to the pressure of either executive or any extrajudicial forces.

Pasha also drew attention to the corrupt practices prevalent in the media industry, the fourth pillar of democracy. “Nowadays, some of the media are not reporting news but they are generating breaking news in their stiff competition for survival. Suppression of news is a grave offense,” he said.

Pasha earlier served the judiciary in various capacities, such as district and sessions’ judge, special CBI judge, principal district and sessions’ judge and registrar general of High Court of Kerala. He retired from service as High Court judge in May 2018. After retirement, he has been active in social service and giving free legal service to the poor.

“Only those who have a good heart can be expatriates as they tend to leave their home and stay away from their kith and kin for a long time in order to have sustenance for their family and support others back home. The expats have to strictly abide by the laws in their host country,” he said while commending Saudi Arabia, saying “the lack of restrictions in remittance prevailing only in a few countries including Saudi Arabia is a big blessing for the expatriates.”

Pasha, who is the chief patron of PMF, praised the humanitarian initiatives being undertaken by the Federation. PMF Coordinator Hifsurahman anchored the event, held in the presence of Rafi Pangode, president of PMF Global. Udaya Kumar, a member of the global committee, who leaves for India for good was given a send off on the occasion. PMF General Secretary Mansoor Abdul Kalam welcomed the gathering and Shanavas Kollam proposed the vote of thanks. A number of schoolchildren staged a dance program, choreographed by Sudha Raju, paying tribute to the soldiers who were martyred in the recent terror attack in Pulwama, Kashmir.