Justice Karnan's alma mater Madras Law College presently known as Dr Ambedkar Government Law College might not be coming out shouting in support for him, but JNU is wasting no time to show the Dalit judge their complete support.
After the Supreme Court sentenced the judge to six month in jail for contempt of court, there has been an uproar not just because the decision is historic but because it has sent a shiver down the spine of the members of the minority groups. Repeatedly, Karnan has accused the the judicial system of harassing him because he is a Dalit, which is why many Ambedkarite groups have extended their support to him.
The Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association in JNU immediately invited its students to a 'post-dinner' talk on 'Fighting caste in the Indian judiciary' on Wednesday. The speakers for the event range from professors to advocates to social activists- Adv Nithin Meshram, Prof Y S Alone, Dr Raj Kumar, Dr Hany Babu and Dhilip C Mandal.
The students vow to continue their support for the judge for as long as this ordeal is expected to go on.
The Bahujan Students' Federation in University of Hyderabad has also called for a meeting of the students on Wednesday and have said that any major decisions would only be taken after the meeting, "We will all be meeting to celebrate Buddha Purnima, so after that we are going to discuss and take a decision but we continue to render our support to Justice Karnan," said one of the members of BSF.
Students at Dr Ambedkar Government Law College say that they extend their support to the justice too but presently have no plans to take to the streets.
Born in the year 1955 in Karnatham village, Cuddalore district, Justice Chinnaswamy Swaminathan Karnan completed his B.Sc at the New College, Chennai and subsequently joined the then Madras Law College and passed out in 1983. He immediately joined the practice and has served as a judge at Madras High Court for eight years. Over the last few years, Karnan has called out the court for allegedly discriminating against him and harassing him for being a Dalit, most recently he accused the judges hearing his case of corruption as well. In the latest turn of events, the Supreme Court sentenced him to six-month imprisonment causing a lot of uproar int he country.