"Songs, Music and the beautiful aesthetic experience that it creates will never go in vain!”

“A Daniel Come to Judgement!”

A lovely article in today’s Hindu Tamil Thisai, [Tamil Morning Daily Newspaper] that I so cherished reading.

Here goes…

“Songs, Music and the beautiful aesthetic experience that it creates will never go in vain!”

From today's Hindu Tamil Thisai 

A landmark verdict passed by the Madurai High Court just last week, grabs our attention!

The song by T.M. Krishna is a raga-malika with six ragas – beginning with Anandabhairavi, followed by Begada, Hameerkalyani, Devagandhari, Salaga Bhairavi and Sindhubhairavi!

In a village near Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar district, a beautiful hillock was caught in the vicious grip of a greedy contractor.

The hillock was gradually being broken apart by the contractor and his coterie, for its precious blue metal content!

Two brothers from the village, had filed a case in court separately, against the contractor saying that, the contractor was working, in complete violation of the rules and regulations, and they also listed out the harmful effects of mining in the defence of the hillock!

Hats off to the Hon. Judge Mr. G. R. Swaminathan for his insightful approach to the case!

The judgement begins like a poem!

“The time for me to speak out has come! Else, I would also become one among the silent characters”.

“I am very much convinced that each and every judgement should be seen both from a legal and argumentative framework!”

“A judge must exhibit awareness of what is going on. His inner antenna should catch signals”.

Citing the famous case of MC Mehta and the Stockholm declaration (which helped lay the foundation for ‘sustainable development’), the Honourable Judge observed that, before dictating this judgment, I listened to TM Krishna's 'poramboke padal'.

“I recollect the words of Nithyanand Jayaram in the song where he says”,

“when violations happen in waterbodies, we may regularise them by issuing pattas. But Nature doesn’t accept of it!”

Recollecting the famous couplet of Thiruvalluvar –

“அகழ்வாரைத் தாங்கும் நிலம்”

“Just as the earth that bears the man who tills and digs it”, 

he observed that, Thirukkural was composed 2000 years ago! Man alone, when he continues to indulge in his plundering activities, Mother Nature loses her patience!

“And when this violation reaches tipping point, the reaction of Nature becomes unbearable!”

“The time has now arrived to make amends! Else, it won’t happen ever!,”

signs off the Honourable Judge!

Article written in Tamil by: Ravi Subramanian, Poet and Documentary Filmmaker

Contact email: ravisubramaniyan@gmail.com