“Some things you must always be unable to bear. Some things you must never stop refusing to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame. No matter how young you are or how old you have got. Not for kudos and not for cash: your picture in the paper nor money in the bank either. Just refuse to bear them.” – William Faulkner (1897-1962)

If there is one most key issue that I can figure that completely fits the bill to what William Faulkner who is an eminent American writer and considered one of the 20th century’s best novelists once said so famously, it is none other than denying West UP even a single High Court Bench even though it is West UP which owes for majority of the pending cases of UP which is highest not just in UP but is also highest in any other region of India yet mercilessly deprived from having even a single High Court Bench! It is definitely most heartening, most reassuring, most rejuvenating, most refreshing and so also most rejoicing to read in newspapers and news channels that none other than Mr Atul Pradhan who is a distinguished Samajwadi Party MLA from Sardhana seat adjoining Meerut has most forcefully pitched for the creation of a High Court Bench in West UP in UP Vidhan Sabha as litigants have to travel about 700 to 800 km on average all the way worse than a donkey by train who cannot afford plane travel till Allahabad! Attaching litigants with not even Lucknow which is more than 250 km earlier but right uptill Allahabad which averages 700 to 800 km on average to seek justice which in itself is the biggest betrayal of what the concept of equality as enshrined in Article 14 of Constitution stands for, biggest stabbing of justice and worst mockery of poorest litigants of West UP!

BJP MLA Manju Siwach from Modinagar in West UP too recently demanded High Court Bench in West UP! RLD MLA Prasanna Kumar from Shamli pointed out in Vidhan Sabha recently that from Shamli the distance till Delhi is just 100 km and even Chandigarh is near but Allahabad High Court is 700 km and demanded High Court Bench in West UP! Umar Ali Khan who is MLA of Samajwadi Party from Behat in Saharanpur in West UP too demanded High Court Bench recently in Vidhan Sabha and pointed out that it is very difficult for people to travel all the way till Allahabad which is about 800 km away from Saharanpur to secure justice especially poor litigants! Former Union Minister and so also former Mumbai Police Commissioner Mr Satyapal Singh who is former BJP MP from Baghpat in 2016 demanded in Parliament 5 High Court Benches in Meerut, Agra, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Jhansi in 2016 but Centre till date is not ready to create even one! Even former PM late Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee had raised this in Parliament in 1986 as Leader of Opposition and so also Mr Rajnath who is now Union Defence Minister and there are many such eminent galaxy of tall leaders like Mr Laxmikant Vajpayee of BJP who has been former party President of BJP in UP still we did not witness movement of even an inch forward on this key “open and shut” case!

What leaves me completely speechless and totally flabbergasted is to see how conveniently, cunningly, consciously, contemptuously and courageously Centre dares to invent some lame excuse or the other to justify denial of a High Court Bench in West UP like sanction of Governor needed as we saw recently when Union Law Minister said that we have no problem with Bench in West UP which definitely cannot be justified by any person in his right senses under any circumstances as Justice Jaswant Singh Commission appointed by Centre itself nearly 50 years ago headed by former Supreme Court Judge recommended permanent seat in West UP at Agra yet not created till date! What complicates this long pending Bench issue in West UP is complete brazen, brutal, blind and baseless disregard of what Justice Jaswant Singh Commission so very commendably recommended of creating permanent High Court Bench in West UP only to be thrown in dustbin while creating High Court Bench in States like Maharashtra which already had multiple High Court Benches at Aurangabad as recommended in 1980s!

To be sure, the denial of even a single Bench to West UP stands as a testament to how shamelessly, sinisterly and surreptitiously Centre has discriminated against West UP even though it is West UP which owes for majority of pending cases of UP and contributes to more than 80% to State’s economy which definitely portrays Centre in poor spotlight for not doing anything worthwhile to address this long simmering issue for nearly 80 years! How can anyone on this earth ever deny that none other than late Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee whose 100th birth anniversary was celebrated on December 25, 2024 all across the nation had in 1986 most forcefully demanded the setting up of a High Court Bench in West UP right inside Parliament as Leader of Opposition? In fact, Dr BR Ambedkar had most strongly batted for separate Statehood for West UP just like for Eastern UP and Central UP which is on record yet no action not even a single Bench created!

Even former PM Late Mr Rajiv Gandhi had wanted to set up a High Court Bench in West UP but as a rift had developed between Meerut and Agra as place where it should be set up, this most pressing issue was not addressed and was receded to the backburner most unfortunately! When two High Court Benches can be created for just 4 and 8 districts of Karnataka in 2008 at Dharwad and Gulbarga then why for 30 districts of West UP three or two or even one High Court Bench cannot be set up inspite of clear recommendations by Justice Jaswant Singh Commission who recommended maximum 3 High Court Benches for undivided UP yet not one created till date which culminated in people of hilly areas agitating for separate Statehood and now Uttarakhand has High Court itself at Nainital? This is just not done and is outright most blatant partiality and cheating which even Supreme Court most lamentably has failed to take suo motu cognizance of while it spares no time in taking suo motu cognizance of cheating in a Mayor election as we saw in Chandigarh! This directly concerns judiciary itself yet we see no action taken on it!

By all accounts, the only durable solution is creation of High Court Bench in West UP! Denial of even a single Bench in West UP is wholly unjustified! Let us not forget that none other than UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath himself had even sent a written recommendation to the Allahabad High Court in January 2024 but most perplexingly withdrew it the very next day without disclosing that under what circumstances it was withdrawn! What I find most questionable is that Centre has ensured multiple High Court Benches for States like Karnataka, Assam, Madhya Pradesh whose population at 6 crores, 4 crores and 7 crores is much less than that of West UP with more than 10 crores but West UP leave alone High Court has not even a single High Court Bench!

By any reckoning, there is no credible reason to deny West UP from having even a single High Court Bench! It is for Centre to come clean on this which cannot be done by just passing the buck most easily to Governor or someone else because Governor is not elected by the people but it is the State Government and Central Government who are elected by the people and BJP is in power both in Centre and State for last so many years and many top BJP leaders have always justified the creation of a High Court Bench in West UP which is all on record! Why the people of West UP are still being infantilized and treated as not fit to be given even a single High Court Bench?

In no way can Centre wash away the unpalatable truth which is so demoralizing, disgusting, degrading and disastrous that Uttar Pradesh which has maximum population among all the States more than 25 crores which is more than the population of 16 small States put together and so also maximum pending cases more than 11 lakhs in High Courts and as of January 1, 2025, the alarming pending is of 11,41,687 cases before the Allahabad High Court and still most astoundingly has only one Bench and that too so close to Allahabad at Lucknow in Eastern UP and what is worse is that West UP which owes for majority of total pending cases of UP has not even a single High Court Bench! What is even more worst is that the litigants of West UP have been attached not even with Lucknow which falls more than 230 km earlier but right uptill Allahabad to seek justice which means whole night and nearly a day wasted on just travelling alone by train who cannot afford plane travel which is not only absolutely preposterous but also biggest betrayal of what Constitution stands for, merciless slaughtering of justice and makes the worst mockery of poorest litigants of West UP and ensures that they suffer the most in all respects! Most disgusting indeed!

By the way, more than one crore cases are pending in lower courts in UP and here too more than half of the pending cases are from West UP and still has just one Bench only and both High Court and a single Bench are in Eastern UP alone and that too just at a distance of about 230 km only even though in 1981 it was agreed that the distance between High Court and Bench should not be less than 300 km yet we see that no change in UP despite India nearing 100 years of independence! It is high time and Centre must move beyond the myopic view that only Eastern UP alone is fit for both High Court and Bench and not any other region which according to Centre are legally worthless just not fit to be given a Bench which really baffles and boils my temper most! Why is Centre most disinterested on such a sensitive issue which directly impacts population of more than 10 crore people of West UP?

It must be asked: Why so much of opacity in creation of High Court Benches? Why no transparency? That is the nub of the problem! Why big states like UP and Rajasthan have only one High Court Bench and lawless Bihar just like West UP none? Most disconcertingly, we see that Centre till date has taken no tangible and credible steps to resolve this long pending issue of most pressing demand for a High Court Bench in West UP which has only served to deprive the litigants of West UP from achieving “easy and affordable justice at doorsteps” and even 230th Report of Law Commission of India most strongly recommended creation of more High Court Benches in different States yet not implemented even after more than 15 years!

It merits just no reiteration that Centre must take a clear stand on it and not indulge in frequent flip-flop over it as we have been seeing since last more than 77 years! Viewed in this light, it can be easily surmised that Centre has been most deadly biased in favouring only one particular region in regard to setting up of a Bench which is most unfortunate and must be strongly and roundly condemned! I have just no inkling as to why Centre has been so deadly biased on this without any logic in this blatant, brazen, brutal, baseless and blind discrimination against West UP and other regions.

Most significantly, it must be asked: Why even Supreme Court has failed to ever ask Centre that why UP with maximum pending cases, maximum population and what not has just one Bench only and West UP with more than half of the total pending cases has none? It is most heart wrenching to see that for Supreme Court taking suo motu cognizance of cheating in Mayor elections in Chandigarh is more important than worst discrimination perpetrated in judiciary itself right under the nose of the Supreme Court in distribution of high court benches in different regions and different States yet nothing done in last nearly 80 years of independence even though 230th Report of Law Commission of India about 15 years ago had most strongly recommended creation of more High Court Benches in different States under Chairmanship of late Dr AR Lakshmanan who was a former Supreme Court Judge yet only few elite States like Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Assam enjoy exclusive privilege of having multiple High Court Benches but Supreme Court or Centre never feels most terribly ashamed on this that UP which is most populated State with maximum pending cases has just one Bench so close to Allahabad High Court and so also Rajasthan which is biggest State areawise has one Bench and lawless Bihar has none just like West UP which is most disgusting indeed to watch! Even top Supreme Court lawyers very rarely speak on such sensitive issues! Why has merit been allowed to become the worst casualty in allotment of the High Court Benches in different States?

Why when lawyers of West UP of so many districts about 26 under one banner demanded High Court Bench in West UP and went on strike for 6 months in 2001 when I first landed in Meerut and so also in 2014-15 apart from nearly 50 years old strike every Saturday due to non-implementation of Justice Jaswant Singh Commission’s recommendation to create permanent High Court Bench in West UP did Supreme Court ever bother to take suo motu cognizance? This is exactly the reason that why it is so famously said that, “Supreme Court is definitely final but not infallible.” It is definitely the biggest Himalayan blunder which has not been corrected neither by Centre nor by Supreme Court which is the last bastion as ray of hope for poorest litigants! Centre definitely can’t pretend to feign ignorance any longer or forward one flimsy or false excuse or other to deny and deprive West UP from having even a Single Bench which is completely bereft of any logic!

It must definitely act now and stop forthwith this most atrocious step-motherly treatment to West UP which definitely makes me hang my head in shame! What I find most deeply troubling is that Centre is just not ready to step out of its comfort zone to do anything worthwhile in this regard! My contention most validly is that there should be just no quibbling as to the irrefutable fact that West UP needs a High Court Bench and it must be now set up at any suitable place at the earliest!

Most lamentably, we see that the denial of even a single High Court Bench to West UP has huge repercussions on litigants of West UP which Centre has simply just failed to address which depicts a dismal picture of the manner in which Centre has contemptuously rode roughshod over the most legitimate demand for a High Court Bench in West UP which definitely cannot be justified under any circumstances! What cannot turn away the singular and unremitting attention of people is to see how haphazardly High Court Benches have been allotted to different States and so also in different regions! What the hell is Centre upto by denying West UP even a single High Court Bench?

The billion dollar question is: Why has Centre been robbing and trampling upon the basic fundamental right of litigants of West UP to get “justice at doorsteps”? I am not at all inclined to buy lame excuses forwarded by Centre to deprive West UP from having even a single High Court Bench! The most fundamental question that arises here is: Will it wake up when people start agitating for separate Statehood like Uttarakhand which had just 88 lakh people when it was created in 2000 as opposed to more than 10 crore people of West UP? Whom is Centre appeasing so terribly? Who is responsible for sabotaging the most legitimate demand for a High Court Bench in West UP just like for lawless Bihar? Responsibility has to be fixed and Supreme Court must immediately take suo motu cognizance of such a serious matter that directly pertains to judiciary just like huge judicial vacancies of which it took cognizance just recently most commendably! It cannot be a free lunch in perpetuity! No denying it!

Why is it ignored that even legal giants like Ram Jethmalani, Soli J Sorabjee, Kapil Sibal etc have time and again reiterated the dire need for setting up a high court bench in West UP? Why is it ignored that Soli J Sorabjee as Attorney General had said in 2001 most forthrightly that, “Centre can create a High Court Bench in West UP without any recommendation from the State Government or Governor or the Chief Justice.” Why is it ignored that even former Supreme Court Bar Association President BN Krishnamani had said that, “Only by the creation of a high court bench in West UP will the people living there get real and effective justice. It should not be denied to them rather should be given at the earliest.”

Why is it conveniently ignored that incumbent President of Supreme Court Bar Association Kapil Sibal had recommended for High Court Bench in West UP at Meerut when he was Union Law Minister in UPA regime? Why is it ignored that former UP CM Sampoornanand recommended a High Court Bench for West UP in 1955 at Meerut but Centre overruled him? I am hard pressed to wonder and just can’t visualize that why Centre is behaving so helplessly in setting up a High Court Bench in West UP?

Even the incumbent CM Shri Yogi Adityanath in January 2024 had forwarded the proposal for a Bench in West UP to Allahabad High Court but most intriguingly withdrew it the very next day! He also 26 years ago had demanded Bench in Gorakhpur right inside Parliament and in 2015 even presented a Private Member Bill for it in Parliament! Still in last about 80 years not a single Bench created other than the one at Lucknow since July 1948! How can any civilized country on earth ever dare to take such a nonsensical preposterous decision like this? How can the people of West UP ever reconcile with such authoritarian, arrogant, arbitrary and atrocious discrimination perpetrated by Centre for so long?

It is most shocking that UP which is among the largest States, has maximum population – more than 26 crore as CM Yogi Adityanath and so also PM Narendra Modi always so very proudly claims, maximum districts - 75, maximum constituencies - 80, maximum MPs – 80, maximum MLAs - 404, maximum PM including Narendra Modi who represents Varanasi as an MP, maximum pending cases – more than 11 lakh in Allahabad High Court and here too West UP accounts for more than half of pending cases as noted by Justice Jaswant Commission about 57% and now after so many decades the percentage of pending cases in West UP has gone substantially much higher, maximum cases in lower courts about to touch 1 crore, maximum Judges both in High Court – 160 and also in lower courts, maximum vacancies of Judges both in High Court and also in lower courts, maximum members in UP Bar Council more than 1 lakh and which is also the largest Bar Council in the world as claimed in the website itself of UP Bar Council yet the former Chairman of UP Bar Council – Darvesh Yadav who was the first woman to get appointed to this post was murdered cold blooded right in court premises in Agra which is again in West UP on June 12, 2019 by pumping bullets on her head and stomach, maximum poverty, maximum villages more than one lakh the exact number being 107040, maximum gram panchayats at 74626, maximum fake encounters killings, maximum custody killings, maximum dowry cases, maximum bride burning cases, maximum cases of human rights violations, maximum robberies, maximum dacoities, maximum cases of crime, loot, arson and riots and here too West UP tops with Saharanpur riots, Meerut riots, Muzaffarnagar riots tarnishing our international reputation to the extent that former UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon termed UP as “crime and rape capital” of India and just recently we see Bahraich coming in news for communal disturbances most recently, maximum undertrials in all age groups and what not yet Centre till now in Febuary 2025 from July 1948 when a Bench was created in Lucknow which is so close to Allahabad and where it was just not needed at all is not prepared to create even a single bench for not just West UP but for the entire UP nor even ready to attach 30 districts of West UP with more than 10 crore population which is more than majority of States with Lucknow? Area of West UP is 98,933 square km and accounts for 33.61 percent of total area of UP and has 26 districts yet no bench but Lucknow with just 62,363 square km and 12 districts has a Bench! Allahabad High Court is biggest High Court in whole of Asia as was claimed by Yogi Adityanath and many say in whole world and also is one of oldest High Court and UP Bar Council has maximum members yet has least Bench just one and so very near to Allahabad which is nothing but most senseless, shameless and stupid decision perpetuated since independence and not rectified till now! There is a political predicament that is complicating this Bench issue to be addressed effectively! What needs to be watched out is how Centre now adopts a new approach or keeps treading on the lame path of forwarding one pretext or the other to justify denial of even a single Bench to West UP! How long will the litigants of West UP be made scapegoat?

It must be asked: Why is it that the litigants of West UP of more than 30 districts foolishly were compelled and are still compelled most senselessly to travel all the way to Allahabad which is far away even from Lucknow where High Court Bench is located and averages 600 to 800 km on an average but the litigants of Lucknow cannot travel even 200 km away to Allahabad? Most shamefully, why no one ever really cares for poorest of poor, women and infirm and physically handicapped people who can’t travel so far easily and Centre is most happy by inaugurating an international airport at Kushinagar and now again at Jewar in West UP and in Ayodhya in December 2023 and most recently in Saharanpur in West UP which is a very good thing and has maximum airports in India and so also maximum highways and super expressways but why we then see so miserliness on High Court Bench for West UP which will benefit all whether poor or rich or Hindu or Muslim or of any other religion? Centre must act now and not just keep on advancing one lame excuse or the other as a pretext for not creating a High Bench anywhere in UP other than at Lucknow where it was just not needed at all as it is so close to Allahabad and worst still the 30 districts of West UP were not attached even with Lucknow which falls 230 km earlier but right uptill Allahabad which means more than 700 km on average all the way to Allahabad to seek justice which in itself is the biggest injustice!

It must definitely be asked: When Centre in 2008 can create two High Court Benches for Karnataka which has just 6 crore population for just 4 and 8 districts only at Dharwad and Gulbarga respectively then why for 30 districts with 10 crore population West UP cannot have five or six High Court Benches as maximum number of pending cases are from West UP? Why litigants of West UP have to travel whole night and half day all the way to Allahabad? Area of West UP is 98,933 square km and accounts for 33.61 percent of total area of UP and has 26 districts yet no bench but Lucknow with just 62,363 square km and 12 districts has a Bench since 1948!

We all know that for just 3 crore people of Telangana Centre approved separate High Court and separate Capital and Statehood on June 2, 2014 just like for Andhra Pradesh with population of just 4 crores by partitioning Andhra Pradesh just like Chhattisgarh was created by partitioning Madhya Pradesh in November 2000 even though population of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh combined is less than West UP alone! Now we hear that Andhra Pradesh State Assembly has approved a High Court Bench in Kurnool also! But most shockingly for West UP with more than 10 crores people we see that not even a High Court Bench is approved by Centre which leaves me completely speechless! Why the hell on earth Supreme Court has been so tolerant to this open most worst discrimination on the distribution of High Court Benches in different States? Why lawless Bihar has not even a single High Court Bench and so also West UP which owes for majority of cases of UP?

Before concluding, it must be asked: Why only one region of UP that is Eastern UP enjoys the unfettered monopoly of having both High Court at Allahabad and Bench at Lucknow so nearby for so long even though it is West UP which owes for majority of pending cases of UP still no Bench! Why even though West UP contributes more than 80% to State’s economy yet accorded such a step-motherly treatment for nearly 80 long years? Is this the way to make India a developed country by 2047 as PM Mr Narendra Modi wants that you deprive most deserving big States like UP, Bihar and Rajasthan from having multiple High Court Benches? Yet why even media which is considered the fourth pillar of democracy very rarely bothers to ever highlight it most forcefully especially in news channels and top newspapers and top magazines? I just can’t second guess!

It is a no-brainer that Eastern UP alone cannot be deemed to have an indefeasible right to have both High Court and High Court Bench and in other regions like Western UP or Bundelkhand or Purvanchal not allowing even a single Bench is most horrendous because this flawed approach is against the very core basis on which our Constitution rests upon. It cannot be dismissed lightly that none other than Dr BR Ambedkar who is considered as the key architect of the Constitution himself proposed the division of Uttar Pradesh into three States that is Western, Eastern and Central and still Centre most shamelessly is not ready to concede even a single High Court Bench to West UP leave alone creating five to six High Court Benches as ideally should be the case! This alone explains why Ex-CJI Mr Jagdish Singh Khehar who recently got Padma Vibhushan had once very rightly said that, “One set of citizens cannot prosper at the cost of another set of citizens, for that would not be fair or unreasonable.” Absolutely right!

The narrative that is gaining ground because of media not highlighting this Bench issue proactively is that people consider it a trivial issue which is definitely not the case! Even Centre’s role in addressing it leaves a lot to be desired! Why can’t even Centre get to the bottom of the problem which has been festering for such a long time inordinately? How long will even Centre do just nothing to check, combat and crush all those stumbling blocks that have contributed in one way or the other to stymie the chances of West UP being given a Bench as was demanded even by former PM late Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1986 right inside Parliament as Leader of Opposition?

It is certainly high time now and judiciary must definitely listen to Mr Kapil Sibal who has more than 52 years of experience as an advocate right in the Supreme Court itself and must be more proactive in protecting the rights of the citizenry! Whether it is the right of the people of West UP to get “justice at doorsteps” by being given a High Court Bench as recommended even by Justice Jaswant Singh Commission or the right of a citizen not to be arrested without proper investigation being conducted, it is the judiciary that has to step in and be more proactive in taking the bull by the horns. The fundamental point that I wish to make here forcefully is: For how long will Apex Court and Centre just gloss over the compelling and legitimate demand for a High Court Bench in West UP?

Let us still hope with a bright sense of optimism about the future by quoting the famous Lebanese poet – Kahlil Gibran: “Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth, follow only beauty and obey only love!” Let’s fervently hope that one day or the other, we will see either Supreme Court or Centre doing something on this most decisively just like for lawless Bihar where there is not even a single Bench but at least it has High Court but West UP has not even a Bench! The upshot of above detailed discussion is that it has become indubitably clear that Centre has favoured worst discrimination in creation of High Court Benches in different States and different regions which definitely is the biggest, blatant, brutal, baseless and blind discrimination that makes an open mockery of Article 14 of Constitution when States like Madhya Pradesh which has just 7 crore population, Karnataka which has just 6 crore population can have separate High Court and multiple High Court Benches then why West UP with more than 10 crores population has got no Bench leave alone High Court like Tamil Nadu with just 7 crore population and Andhra Pradesh with 4 crore population and Telangana with 3 crore population among other States who have separate High Court and so also many other States who have far less population but still have High Court and West UP has not even a Bench just like Bundelkhand and Purvanchal even though population of West UP is more than 10 crores which means more than the population of majority of the States and maximum pending cases in UP are also from West UP which is also highest in any region of any State of India! If West UP cannot be given High Court Bench then all the Benches must be abolished in India! The 230th Report of Law Commission of India favoured creation of more High Court Benches for not just Karnataka or Maharashtra but also for UP and Rajasthan which have just one Bench and lawless Bihar none but Bihar at least has High Court and West UP inspite of being bigger in area with 98,000 square km area than Bihar with 94,000 square km area has not even a single High Court Bench! No denying or disputing it!

The billion dollar question is: When will Centre bring the curtains down on the most pressing issue of setting up a High Court Bench in West UP which has been hanging fire for a mind boggling time of more than 78 years? Priyanka Gandhi said in Parliament that why Centre keeps blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for all left undone? Even Supreme Court senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi pointed out that why can’t Centre take its own decision as it has been in power for nearly 11 years now? Absolutely right!

Nehruji created 76 years ago a High Court Bench in Lucknow so near to Allahabad where High Court is located in July 1948 without dishing any lame excuse, why then no other PM could dare to create even a single High Court Bench anywhere even in undivided UP till 2000 when Uttarakhand was created as a separate State because of agitation by people? Why when Justice Jaswant Singh Commission headed by former Supreme Court Judge appointed by Centre itself recommended permanent Bench for West UP still even after nearly 50 years not created even though in Maharashtra Centre approved one more Bench which already had multiple High Court Benches? When will Centre go full throttle in ensuring that the creation of a High Court Bench in West UP is done now without any more dilly-dallying on one pretext or the other?

How long will Centre piggyback on lame excuses to deny West UP from having even a single Bench? Why such a pressing issue never dominates the discourse in different news channels is truly incomprehensible and most baffling indeed! Why can’t Centre keep powerful vested elements at bay when it comes to taking a call on the creation of a permanent High Court Bench in West UP?

To say the very least: The utter nonchalant approach of Centre in addressing it has been of biblical proportions for which it definitely cannot be ever given a clean chit! How can Centre keep its eyes shut to clear writing on the wall for such a long time? What I find most heart breaking is the heartless manner in which Centre has rode roughshod over the most legitimate and compelling demand for a High Court Bench in West UP!

The prime question here is: Who is responsible for this most messy state of affairs perpetrated most atrociously in allotment of High Court Benches in different regions and different States? It must definitely also be asked: Why Supreme Court has gone into a deep hibernation on such a most pressing issue directly connected with the judiciary itself since last nearly 80 years? The most germane question is: When will it wake up and take suo motu cognizance of it? After 100 years in 2047 or 2048? On November 26, 1949, when the Constitution was being adopted, Dr Rajendra Prasad had very rightly said that, “…a Constitution like a machine is a lifeless thing. It acquires life because of the men who control it and operate it.”

In sum, the cat is out of the bag and yet how long will Centre remain senselessly wedded to the past most historical Himalayan blunder committed about 80 years ago by creating only one Bench for the most populated State with maximum pending cases so close to Allahabad High Court at Lucknow only and refuse to create even a single Bench in any other district of UP? There can be definitely just no gainsaying that Centre, Parliament, Supreme Court, Allahabad High Court and so also our national media and our national newspapers and even our national news channels also must definitely seriously give it a food of thought and after seriously deliberating arrive independently at their own logical conclusions! No denying or disputing it!

To be very honest, Centre cannot be ever under any circumstances be given a clean chit for not doing the requisite spadework in this regard to ensure that a High Court Bench is now created in West UP at the earliest! My whole take on this is: Centre is just not doing enough to address this key issue and Supreme Court is not helping resolve matters by not taking suo motu cognizance of it and leaving everything on Centre alone on a key issue that directly pertains to judiciary! Nothing on earth can ever for me be more disgusting than this most unpalatable stark truth!

Sanjeev Sirohi, Advocate,
s/o Col (Retd) BPS Sirohi, A 82, Defence Enclave,
Sardhana Road, Kankerkhera, Meerut - 250001, Uttar Pradesh.