Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a Barrister of law, turned to be a humanitarian, a freedom fighter and follower of Bhagwan Mahavir and Lord Buddha propagating their 5 principles of life: TRUTH, NON-VIOLANCE, NON-POSSESSIVENESS, COMPASSION AND BROAD MINDEDNESS, got us freedom from British Rule without any war and by non-violence. He was integrity personified. He did not lie and he did not engage in secrecy. He taught us truth, non-violence, integrity, self-reliance. simplicity, ethics, morality to be vegetarian and non-alcoholic, to believe in Naturopathy and do ‘Upvas’ to shed ego, not to think oneself superior or supreme and to keep control on sexuality. He was a revolutionary for Liberty. He preached: All human beings are one and there should not be any discrimination on account of caste, creed, community, colour, class, race, economic imbalance etc. He wrote, “The individual has a soul, but as the State is a soulless machine, it can never be weaned from the violence to which it owes its very existence.” He stated: “Civil disobedience becomes a sacred duty when State becomes lawless and corrupt. His first loyalty was always to life, to humanity, a loyalty which he said superseded any other loyalty to nation, race, class, caste. Love is the highest law of life. Mahatma Gandhi stood for and died for truth, self-reliance and integrity. He showed us the efficacy of integrity in human affairs to a depth seldom displayed among men: a man fully integrated in congruency of thought, word and deed. To think one thing, say another and do a third is to lie, was to disintegrate. Serve the Society without publicity and spend the Trust Fund economically for the very purpose collected, without any mistrust, waste or defalcation.

Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation’s clearest teaching is that on “Means-As- End”. It is the same as Buddha’s teaching on the Law of “Cause and Effect”. The end of any action is defined, predicted and included in the means. Means is seed, end is tree. They are inseparably linked. A good end cannot arise from immoral means. A neem seed cannot beget a mango tree. It is Law of Nature. The first moral law is Do No Harm and have COMPASSION. Because non-violence is most fundamental moral responsibility, it is also most fundamental human right.

Gandhiji had the foresight to predict a century ago that if our world view is totally materialistic, we will end up with the same kind of seemingly democratic but actually totalitarian structures that are crushing us, no matter what our dedication to democracy and free enterprise may be. Now, the human mind has become so brutalized by the gratuitous violence of TV, video games, sex, cinema, five star culture, wasteful spending together with the actual violence of endless war that only blunt words seem to penetrate the veil of denial. At a mass level we appear to have lost our capacity for sensitivity and the subtle feelings of the inner spirit. Without a moral compass, neither individual nor society can navigate the storms of life. Unless we can find the Pole Star of Truth, we are in a big trouble, with the very survival of civilization in jeopardy. Even now, having created a World gone mad with the violence of its greed, can we say we are civilized: Are we humane?

The Mahatma is not with us except on currency notes, photo hung into Executive, Administrative & Judicial Courts and offices, with name on some important roads, statue at some conspicuous place, literature in libraries and to be remembered on 2nd October & 30th January. A time has come when those who are in a mad rush of multiplying their wants will retrace their steps and say – what have we done – modern civilization is such that one has only to be patient and it will be self-destroyed. In the present conditions one would be under stress and unpeaceful. However, the teachings and life of Father of the Nation is timely, of great importance and need be cultivated by all human beings around the globe.

Mansarovar Advocates Club Trust has been constituted on Ramnavami 1996 by Senior Advocates and Advocates of Jaipur with an objective to increase brotherhood, fraternity amongst the Bar and the Bench and to associate both to work in the legal field in, to enhance dignity and honour of both and to serve the legal fraternity. The motto is: “SERVICE FOR JUSTICE”. It has published many booklets for awareness of law. It has organized conferences to arouse legal awareness. It has propagated and promoted “Ethics, Excellence and Education” which is hall-mark of a successful professional and which is in accord with the principles and precepts propagated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Ranka Public Charitable Trust was constituted in the year 1980 for promotion of public good and to serve the humanity. In order to promote the principles and percepts of respected Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the nation, and to motivate the inmates of Central Jails, on the request of the State Government, the Trust installed statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation at Central Jail, Ajmer, Jodhpur and Kota. Unveiling ceremony was performed by His Excellency Justice Anshuman Singh, the then Governor of Rajasthan at Ajmer Central Jail; by Hon’ble Shri Ashok Gehlot, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan and Shri Subha Rao, a Gandhian, at Jodhpur Central Jail and at Kota Central Jail by Hon’ble Mrs. Gyansudha Mishra, Senior Judge of Rajasthan High Court. It was presided by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Daleep Singh of Rajasthan High Court.

In order to propagate the percepts and principles of respected Mahatma Gandhi and to inspire the students, teachers and parents, marble statue was installed in Purusharti School which was unveiled by His Excellency Shri Nawal Kishore Sharma, presently, Governor of Gujarat. Marble statue was also installed at Agrasen Naturopathy Centre, Saharanpur (U.P) with unveiling performed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil, the then Judge of the Supreme Court and Mr. Justice Ram Bhawan Mishra, Judge, Allahabad High Court. Similar marble statue was installed at Ritu Sharada Mandir Foundation, an Orphan House, which was unveiled by Shri Rajendra Choudhary, the then Health Minister of Rajasthan.

With an objective to inspire the judicial officers, lawyers and litigants to follow the principles laid down by the Father of the Nation and to motivate for expeditious, fair and reasonable dispensation of justice, the Ranka Public Charitable Trust installed Marble statue in District Court Saharanpur (U.P a birth place of Shri R. K. Jain, Senior Advocate, New Delhi and Shri S. K. Tiwari, Advocate, Jaipur) on 2nd October, 2004. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil, former Judge of Supreme Court and presently Member, National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi performed the unveiling ceremony. With the same very objective the Trust installed similar marble statue in the District Court Complex at Raichur (Karnataka State) birth district of the humanist and par excellence person, Dr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil. It was unveiled by Hon’ble Justice Shivraj V. Patil, Member National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi on 18th March, 2006, in the gracious presence of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohana Gowda, Administrative Judge of Karnataka High Court, Member of Parliament, State Minister, District Judge, District Administration, Members of the Bar, Judicial Officers, litigants, invitees, press, electronic media etc., totalling above 300.

At the unveiling function at Raichur, I expressed that it is desirable that the litigants as well as Hon‘ble Members of the Bar and the judicial officers while entering the “Temple of Justice”, bow down before Mahatma Gandhi, who is present in the Court premises and be motivated by his gracious presence. There had been ‘Pran – Pratishta’ in the statue making it alive and worth worshipping.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil, myself and Shri Sudhir Kumat Tiwari were of the unanimous opinion that similar statues be installed at such places which are birth district of living law legends and legal illuminaries of India, who have enhanced the image of Law Courts and have played a pivotal role in dispensation of justice to downtrodden and teeming million citizens of this largest democracy of the World. Such district would become “NYAY TIRTH”, where young upcoming lawyers may visit to pay homage and seek inspiration.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil and myself were of the unanimous view that similar marble statue be installed at Guna, the birth place of Hon’ble Mr. Justice R. C. Lahoti, Former Chief Justice of India and son of the soil of M.P. In order to achieve above objectives, to inspire members of the Bar and the Bench to weed out corruption from ‘Judiciary and to motivate to dispense justice without fear or favour, we conceived “NYAY TIRTH PARIYOJANA” Justice Patil renamed it “LAW PILGRIMAGE”.

The Unveiling Ceremony at Guna was performed on 26-11-2006 by Hon’ble Mr. Justice

R. C. Lahoti, Former Chief Justice of India, presided by Hon’ble Mr. Justice A. K. Patnaik, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh and Hon’ble Dr. Justice Shivraj V. Patil, Acting Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Hon’ble Mr. Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari, Chairperson, Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Deepak Misra of M.P. High Court and myself were the Distinguished Guests. 5 honourable Justices of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Chairman of the M.P. Bar Council, Members of the Bar, Trade and Industry, Judicial Officers and litigants numbering above 600 attended. Four Senior Members of the Bar, who have completed 50 years of practice were felicitated. Function was widely covered by the press and electronic media and there was live telecast at “GUNA­NYAYTIRTH”. The District Administration & Bar Association hosted dinner and lunch and Rotary Club published Souvenir. An exhibition of Mahatma Gandhi’s Photographs was organised. At Guna function I appreciated the efforts of movie makers of “Lagey Raho Munnabhai” and suggested that appropriate title would be “JAGTE RAHO MUNNABHAI”. In the said episode where Munnabhai remembers “Mahatma” and “Mahatma” appears invisibly to guide and assist is well thought of. I suggested to all litigants, judiciary and bar members to have ‘darshan’ while entering the court premises and to pray to do the right thing while discharging the duty assigned to each one of the three wings. Doing the divine act for the judiciary and proper assistance by the law profession should be to dispense justice.

The Trust has been accorded permission by the Chief Justice of Kerala to install marble statue of respected Mahatma Gandhi in the Court complex at Palakkad (Palghat) (Kerala), being the birth district of Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Former Judge of Supreme Court. Unveiling was performed by Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.K. Bali, Chief Justice of Kerala in a well organised function on 11-1-2007. The Trust has applied for permission to install marble statue at Bhagalpur (Bihar). Statue has been sent. May be installed in the next year. The Trust has decided to install marble statue at Beawar (Rajasthan) place of Late Shri Mukut Behari Lal Bhargava and myself. The Trust has applied for installation of statue at Betul Court Complex, birth district of Hon’ble Mr. Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari and Gandhian Dharmadhikari family. Unveiling is scheduled on 25-2-2007. The Trust has chosen District Court, Pune, birth district of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Y. V. Chandrachood and many Gandhian followers. Pune Bar is closely associated in the project. Unveiling may be performed in March or May 2007. The Trust has decided to select one place in every State and thereby install 22 marble statues of respected Mahatma Gandhi and make such places “NYAY TIRTH”. Readers, members of the Bar and Bench, judicial officers and all concerned are requested to suggest such places in other states.

Peace requires liberty. Liberty demands a self-disciplined people of strong moral fibre adhering to the highest values of ethics and reverence for life. The first step is to vow to do no harm. There is need to reiterate Gandhian values, and instead of merely garlanding the portraits of Gandhiji on 2nd October each year, we must translate his ideals into real life. Let us have an Inner Revolution and transform us :

From fear to love, from greed to generosity

From selfishness to compassion; deceit to truth From dependence to self-reliance; war to peace From enslavement to Liberty