Kochi: For Justice VR Krishna Iyer, the eminent jurist who turned 99 on Friday, the occasion was a mix of both ecstasy and agony.
"Agony because I was unable to meet all who came to greet me on my birthday", he said, pointing out that his deteriorating health condition was proving to be a dampener in keeping his spirits high.
"But against all odds I am very much alive to the issues around me and therefore I am ecstatic that I am still able to raise them in public forums'', he adds.
Looking back, the most satisfying moment in his entire life was the role played in democratizing the Supreme Court through the introduction of PIL. "I, along with P N Bhagwati were instrumental for this juristic revolution, which turned the course of justice delivery and made it accessible to ordinary citizens as well", he observed.
Having been a witness to the evolution of the Indian democratic system over the last seven decades from close quarters, his only wish was to see a political party that stays true to the concept of 'Swaraj'. “Only such a party can save this democracy.”
Earlier in the day, admirers and friends of Iyer from Tamil Nadu, led by Madras High Court Judge N.Krubakaran and former judge K.Chandru, accorded a felicitation to him in Kochi. On the occasion, the book 'Who lives if secular India dies' authored by Iyer was also released.
