TRIBUTE TO A NOBLE soul

It still resonants in our ears, how approbative he was of our commitment and quality at ISSUES & CONCERNS, be it the foray into print journalism or be it our reach out initiative. It was as if our tummy was full and no food was needed for weeks. Yes, like all else, every beginning has an end. So it was on 7th April, the compassionate voice of Justice Kalamanje Jagannatha Shetty was stilled forever, to remain only in memory.

Born on 15th Dec 1927, in  Ambalpady, in the coastal Karnataka district of earst-while Dakshina Kannada, retired Supreme Court Justice K.Jagannatha Shetty left this mortal world for his heavenly  abode at the end of his journey on this sorry earth. While he was alive, he was a professional to the core, in his elected field of law and justice. In his tall frame, he looked very stern, but that frame had a kind, reasonable and a fair heart, which reflected in all his public posturings including his judicial pronouncements. He was a judicial luminary with impeccable probity and eminence. His journey from being a lawyer to the higher judicial positions in the Apex Court of the country has been meteoric. As an acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court to be the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, on the way to the Supreme Court bench, was a reflection of his standing in the judicial hierarchy.

Our association with Justice Shetty has been of only over 6 years, but those six years were very satisfying for us at ISSUES & CONCERNS. He is one of our most eminent and respected readers. For the benefit of those who do not know, we reproduce what we wrote in our editorial of Oct. 2009. Quote “Our Bangalore representative Shri Sanath Kumar Punja, had given us a list of 50 gentlemen from the Bangalore Bunts Directory, which to our good fortune, included the name of retired honourable Supreme Court Justice K. Jagannath Shetty. His, no holds barred, approbation of our commitment to the objectives of I&C has really bucked us up. Coming from the judicial luminary of his probity and eminence, was no less than a testimonial for all that we have been doing for all these 9 years. But the icing on the cake was when we called on Justice Shetty at his Bangalore residence. We were truly humbled by his graciousness and large heartedness. At the end of our exchange of thoughts of over an hour on issues and concerns, we were left speechless by one of his incredibly noble gesture. He handed over a cheque of Rs. 25,000/- for our child centric reach out programmes, a generosity we never expected. Justice Shetty shall be remembered for all time to come at I& C. We invoke almighty god to grant him good health and long life for years to come.” Unquote.

It is sad, he is no more. But as Babita, his daughter, philosophically accepted, it was INEVITABLE and was indeed as Samuel Butler said the, ‘WAY OF ALL FLESH’. 

We will miss greatly the affectionate welcoming smile at the door of Sai Sadan, which we were fortunate to be recipient on those many occasions, shall be reduced to only memory.                       May his soul REST IN EVERLASTING PEACE   - AMEN