The recent major Statewide agitations conducted by the advocates yielded no desired results but became counterproductive. The advocates had staged various forms of agitations to register their protest against the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka during February, 2009. These protests had no impact, except delivering adverse developments.
It did not produce desired impact on Sri Lankan Tamils issue. On the other hand, it ended in unprecedented violence inside the Madras High Court campus on February 19. Many advocates, litigant public, including scribes, sustained injuries. Huge damages had been caused to the movable and immovable properties.
Above all, it strengthened the simmering hatred between the lawyers and the police. Several litigations including a contempt of court petitions, arising out of the incident, were still pending in the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Similarly, the recent agitations for declaration of Tamil as court language by the advocates, instead of yielding the desired result, ended only in the wastage of valuable court time and arrest of about 15 lawyers and registration of cases against them.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Justice M Yusuf Eqbal, who assumed the office of Chief Justice of the Madras High Court just a week back on June 11, is upset over the developments. He has requested the advocates not to boycott the courts, in his reply to the felicitations offered by the Bench and the Bar, at the reception meeting held at the High Court premises on the same day.
The political colour being given to the issue has irked many advocates. The visit of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president KV Thangkabalu, S Thirunavukkarasar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Pon Radhakrishnan, CPI State secretary D Pandian and Pazha Nedumaran of Tamil National Movement, to the fasting venue was unwarranted, the advocates, who obviously wanted to remain anonymous, unanimously told `Express‘.
Adding fuel to the fire was the speech and presentation of shawls to the fasting advocates by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leaders like D Jayakumar, Thalavai Sundaram, PH Pandian and his son Manoj Pandian, they added.
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