Author: Ravish Tiwari
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: March 24, 2012
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/behind-mulayam-jurist-award-a-gift-of-land/927727/0

The International Council of Jurists yesterday announced the International Jurists Award, 2012, for Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for his “unflinching contribution to the advancement of the bar and the bench”, and “support to the development of the legal fraternity (which) is unparalleled in the world”.

Today, Adish C Aggarwala, one of the presidents of the organisation, listed Mulayam’s contributions as follows: setting up lawyers’ chambers and building judicial complexes in UP, and making an out-of-turn allotment of 10 acres of land to the Supreme Court Bar Association’s multi-state group housing society even before it had been registered as a society.

The award, announced in London by Justice Gavin Lightman, a retired judge of the high court of England and a vice-president of the International Council of Jurists, will be presented to Mulayam in London on May 28 by the Rt Hon’ble Nicholas Phillips, former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.

A biography of Mulayam written by law attorney Sarah Booth will also be presented to the SP chief while he is in London.

Aggarwala clarified, however, that the book has no connection with the award.

Aggarwala, who was additional advocate general of UP when Mulayam was chief minister, said that the legal fraternity had realised Mulayam’s contribution when faced with “deprivations” like withdrawal of welfare grants and curtailment of funds to the bar council under Mayawati.

The decision to felicitate him was, however, taken before the SP won the assembly elections, Aggarwala said. “In fact, the announcement was made after we solicited his consent for the award on March 4, 2012, before the announcement of the (election) results... It has nothing to do with his return to power.”

Aggarwala said, “Mulayam Singh Yadav not only makes promises, he also keeps them. At a programme organised by the All India Bar Association in 2005, which was attended by several legal luminaries, (the then UP CM) Mulayam Singh Yadav promised to allot land for homes of lawyers and judges despite objections from (Mulayam’s then aide) Amar Singh and bureaucrats in the chief minister’s office.

“There are housing societies for the legal fraternity in Delhi like Manu Apartments, Supreme Enclave and Niti Bagh, but all of them were allotted land when their turn came in the queue. But Mulayam Singh allotted 10 acres of land in Noida’s Sector 99 despite the fact that the Supreme Court Bar Association’s multi-state group housing society was not even registered as a housing society then.

“Now the buildings are under construction. Given the fact that cost of accommodation has risen sharply in Delhi and Noida is not far behind, his gesture helped the legal fraternity to get affordable housing in the NCR,” Aggarwala said.

Mulayam, Aggarwala added, had also extended “financial support for bar associations in districts and even at the sub-divisional level”, and had “facilitated construction of lawyers’ chamber in districts across UP and initiated the construction of judicial complexes comprising courts and residential dwellings”.

“Mulayam Singh is the one person who understood the plight of the legal fraternity working at lower levels in assisting the delivery of justice for common people and extended his help in whatever way he could.”

Aggarwala is currently chairman of the All India Bar Association, senior additional advocate general for Haryana, and advocate general for Punjab. He had unsuccessfully contested the last election for president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.