A forceful voice against corruption

I am sorry that I did not attend the cremation of Iqbal Chagla, son of the legendary former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Mahommedali Currim Chagla, and father of a sitting judge of the same court, Justice Riyaz Chagla. My 95-year-old bones will not allow me to remain standing for more than a minute.

Advertisement

I phoned Iqbal’s wife, Roshan, and explained my absence from my friend’s funeral. Iqbal was truly a man whose courage must be spoken of and emulated. There are many individuals of integrity in all professions and walks of life, but very few who are willing to stick their neck out when a principle, to which he or she is wedded, is being blatantly flouted.

Iqbal was different. A highly respected and successful member of the Bombay Bar, he was elected its president for three consecutive terms from 1990 to 1999. During this period, he shot off letters to the Chief Justice, accusing four judges of the high court of blatant corruption. On behalf of the Bar and as its president, he demanded the resignation of these judges, failing which the Bar would boycott their courts. The threat worked.

Some five years later, the sitting Chief Justice was also forced to relinquish his assignment as Iqbal had found him lacking in integrity. These facts were brought to my notice by advocate Shivam Jain Kakadia, my junior colleague in the Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT). I am grateful to him for his inputs.

It is not often that one comes across a leader who decides to throw down the gauntlet. Even if she or he is personally above board, they are not willing to displease their colleagues who have succumbed to temptation. Then there are some who decide to mind only their own business, though they disapprove of what their friends are guilty of. The runaway corruption we witness today is left unchecked. Ordinary citizens are the main sufferers. They soon accept corruption as a fact of existence and just pay up like they would pay for groceries.

Ahead of a visit to the Supreme Court, Iqbal phoned the Chief Justice of India’s (CJI) secretary for an appointment with the incumbent, Justice Sabyasachi Mukherjee, a good and reasonable man. He met Iqbal at his official bungalow. The first question Justice Mukherjee asked Iqbal was, “Mr Chagla, do you need to do this again?” He was relieved when Iqbal replied that he had not come to complain against any judge.

The CJI mentioned in the course of the conversation that he had faith in the Bombay Bar, but was worried that Bars in other states could borrow a leaf from the book of their brethren in Mumbai. Justice Mukherjee need not have bothered. A senior lawyer like Iqbal was a rare commodity and you require a rare leader like him to motivate juniors and force the authorities to face the truth.

Iqbal was offered judgeship on the Bombay HC Bench. He turned it down. A little later, he was asked to accept a seat on the Supreme Court Bench. It was speculated that he would become the CJI in due course, thanks to his seniority. He turned down that offer as well because he felt that 19 months as the CJI were not sufficient to introduce changes that he felt were required to make the judiciary truly independent and just.

In any field of endeavour, whether it is the public or the private sector, the top man matters. His values and principles define his performance. His leadership skills are tested. If he is honest and just and practises what he preaches, those junior to him and whom he leads will surely sense the difference and follow him. The Bombay Bar Association was a different entity under Iqbal’s leadership.

Iqbal’s daughter married Cyrus Mistry, who succeeded Ratan Tata as the chairman of Tata Sons, the body that controls and guides the Tata enterprises. Iqbal refused to comment on the misunderstanding between Ratan and Cyrus that resulted in the latter exiting office after a short stint at the helm.

My IPS batchmate Raghavachari Govindrajan’s son Mukund Rajan, a Rhodes scholar, was Ratan’s right-hand man in the chairman’s office. He was fond of Ratan and served him loyally. When Ratan passed the baton to Cyrus, Mukund continued in the same position. When Cyrus left, Mukund felt that a good man had been wronged. He quit along with his boss.

When Iqbal was asked about his views on the episode, he refused to comment. He only confirmed that his son-in-law was a good human being and he was pleased that his daughter had made the right choice of a husband.

It was three months ago that I spoke to Iqbal for the last time. Since CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds are being diverted by corporates to the PM CARES Fund, NGOs like the PCGT have been forced to seek funds from supporters and friends. The PCGT interacts with students, mainly those studying law. The NGO decided to approach leading legal firms and lawyers for assistance. I phoned Iqbal for help.

Though he was ill, he found time to support the PCGT’s mission. Promptly, he sent a cheque for an amount that only Justice Gautam Patel of the Bombay High Court had exceeded. That gesture is not one a supplicant can obliterate from memory. It was a statement of trust and abiding friendship.

A couple of weeks ago, I had mourned the death of another good man, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is sad to record the departures of men of integrity, the likes of whom are becoming scarcer and scarcer. This trend will continue as long as the political leadership gives precedence to victory in the polls over justice to common citizens.