I think you are right

Yeah right! Reducing a judicial colossus into a one line assessment. Judgments and judges who are pro industry alone need to be deified... like the ones who brokered Bhopal Gas tragedy compensation...betraying the victims who still suffer.

Please remember that the SC lawyers who came to ridicule, mock and downright condemn when VRK was appointed to the SC thinking that he was a communist, stayed back to watch, admire and love VRK. He won the hearts and minds of even the most corporate of lawyers. See Harish Salve's article today in TOI.

VRK stands tall by any measure. As for your assessment, I would repeat Krishna Iyer's own words in Sunil Batra's case (1978)4 SCC 494, paragraph 89 last line
Commonsense quarrels with such non sense

My gods (I am Hindu after all!)! So the benchmark for doing a 'great thing' is to praise PM Narendra Modi? Oh that sounds soo delightfully simple. I should start a blog chanting NaMo NaMO 1008 times a day on the internet (simple cut, copy paste - a corporate lawyer's forte after all) in order to earn the Nobel Prize for Peace (chanting someone's name like a sheep), Literature (the sheer poetic value of typing/reading/hearing NAMONAMONAMO in Iambic Pentameter. Or is it Tetrameter?), Economics (greater ease of access to Nobel Prize means greater awesomeness spreads with greater ease and efficiency) and Physics (calculation of the fastest way to reach awesomeness in the physical world) for 2015. Does that sound realistic dear 'Guest'? You think you could put in a word to the concerned selection authority? And if I were to start this blog, would you, dear 'Guest' also 'respect' and 'thank me'? Pretty pretty please?

Or maybe instead of calling someone a 'Soviet' with such ease (read ignorance), one would do well to know that the Soviets stood for many things, amongst which included a virulent and emphatic 'NO' to the democratic way, of human rights, liberties and freedoms. 'Soviet' sympathiser is something that only a fool would call Justice VR Krishna Iyer, who despite his strong socialist outlook ultimately stood for the defence of human rights, liberty and most of all, our fundamental rights, which includes amongst other things, the right to praise or question the PM as we see fit. One would also note that the Kerala Communist government of 1957 was the first time in the history of this planet(!) that a communist / socialist political party won a democratic election anywhere in the world (which Justice Iyer was a minister of).

Secondly, you have opened my eyes to the further ease of 'brainwashing' students. Ooooh! So its that easy? I can just masquerade as a Professor in any of India's laws schools (National, regional, regal or notional) and convince law students of anyone's greatness? So inspite of the vast ocean of knowledge and resources that are available for law students to read and form their own opinions of, they can be THAT EASILY misled into believing something? Stunning! Yet another revelation to my ignorant Mallu mind! To the cabal of Malayali professors whom you share this noble intellectual difference, what happened? Do tell us what brought you to heap scorn on the entire length and breadth of academia in this country who just so happen to come from the state of Kerala? Tears well up in my glistening eyes at this likely injustice you must at suffered at the conniving hands of those Mallu profs. What a shame that such a technicality or an inadequate mentality could preclude us from forming a glorious union of ideas that would only serve to benefit this nation, uplift the masses and bring bijli, sadak, paani to millions. Forgive us sir/madam ('US' also includes other Mallus like me).

On industry? Yes sir/madam, he did stand for the red flag over the red lines of profit and loss on the balance sheet. Can't overlook that. However, given the insightful revelations that you have brought to the fold, on that very same vein, it would be useful to note that Justice VR Krishna Iyer was a man who who dedicated his life to human rights (including freedom of speech) and to strengthening the apex body of the judiciary in this country. His ruling on the Allahabad HC matter was definitely a fault. His U-turn on later praising Modi was equally questionable, if not strange (given his role in the investigations following the 2002 carnage). But it was he who singlehandedly inspired and spearheaded the idea of judicial activism into the Supreme Court, which reinvigorated the Indian judiciary considerably after the Emergency. He helped our Supreme Court rediscover its teeth and its authority. Something which even Indira Gandhi didn't dare to challenge in her second term. India may have had one emergency in its history with Justice Iyer was unable to prevent. But he certainly paved the way to ensure that its unlikely to ever happen again.

So jargon sir/madam, jargon, jargon , jargon and jargon. And words, words, words, words. And mentality ('nuff said once!). Please lets care for the jargon and words we use (including the mentality we diffuse), even if we are blessed with the freedom, the fundamental right and opportunity of anonymously trolling a legendary judge who worked hard to ensure that you would call him by whatever words you like.

Signed-

An ardent Mallu capitalist admirer of Modi whose humbly seeking to set the record straight. :)

Have a nice day, my dear guest! Love, kisses, and a big coconut oil scented hug!

Well for a lot of us who have looked up to him, it came as a real suprise when he endorsed the policies of Shri. N Modi. That is when someone pointed out that when a person is 98 years old, we should discount what he is actually saying and look at the body of work he has left behind. That is his true legacy. Not some statement supporting a leader.

I agree whole-heartedly with you!

I was also confused about the same thing. It appears from the NewsMinute article that he was born in November 1915 according to the Malayalam calendar. Could that have something to do with it?

Is anyone more familiar with how that could work in practice, because his birthday is definitely in November 1915 and he also definitely turned 100.

There you said it..."secularism". Alas, the pall bearer of sickularism is gone.

And you mention "human rights" too. Wow...i can't have it enoug..TGIF...Some months ago ( I think in Sept-Oct) the National Human Rights Commission issued a diktat to the West Bengal govt. to end the embargo against export of potatoes to Odisha.

Denial of potatoes the NHRC ruled was flagrant violation of the petitioner's human rights. (I say a small prayer when I gorge on my vada paos these days.)

This is an often over looked part of his work. Also most people actually have no clue about the "election irregularities" which were allegedly committed by Ms. Indira Gandhi.

We have, through the system of adult franchise, elected a mass murderer to the post of the Prime Minister. He could not have done worse.

Krishna Iyer followed precedent and did not grant stay. It was not his fault. He was brave enough to follow precedent and not grant stay even though it was an all powerful PM who was seeking it. The buck stops at Indira Gandhi's table. She did the unthinkable to defend her throne. Krishna Iyer's declining of stay was commented upon by the great HM Seervai as the Supreme Court's finest hour.

To put in context, during the emergency the SC bench of many great judges genuflected and rendered ADM Jabalpur... fearing the very PM whom VRK did not fear.

VRK's integrity is blue chip