The caste problem does not spare anyone, not even the Chief Justice of a High Court. And one of the worst victims of this Hindu prejudice was Bhimaiah, who got the bitterest taste of his life just a week before he was to retire in April as Chief Justice of Karnataka. He was judge of the same court for the past about 15 years but no one spoke a word about his integrity, honesty or his sense of judgement. But suddenly on the eve of retirement, the Bar Association met and passed a resolution that the customary farewell would not be given to him as Bhimaiah “was unfit to hold the office”. The resolution was opposed by some Dalit and other fair minded lawyers. A clash followed right at the meeting which ended in shouts and utter confusion. Dalits were beaten up. Next day the very same communal lawyers tried to enter the Court hall where Bhimaiah was conducting cases and tried to assault him. The police prevented this. Some lawyers said they would clean the chair of the Chief Justice as it had been polluted because of being occupied by an Untouchable!!!
Meanwhile, some miscreants burnt the car belonging to a lawyer parked outside the High Court and damaged some others for which the police arrested some of the Dalit Action Committee members. Enraged Dalits took out a huge procession on April 5 demanding arrest of those lawyers under the Protection of Civil Rights Act for insulting Bhimaiah. They also demanded publication of the file on “Miss Sumitra Desai episode” that rocked the State 10 years ago. It was a plot hatched by some Brahmin leaders to prevent Bhimaiah being made the Chief Justice then. Thus Bhimaiah, an ardent Ambedkarite, ended his career as a judge with a bitter experience which he wants to pour into a book exposing the communal and caste prejudice in the High Court, the ‘temple of justice’.
