My Years in the Supreme Court continues...

That a person who led a healthy
and happy life, who rose to the highest position at the Bar and on the Bench, who served his people to the best of his ability, and
whose heart always melted at the misery of his fellow beings, should suffer like this is a mystery which no one can solve.

The year 1953 opened up with a fresh job for me while still continuing my work on the Supreme Court. One day before the Court’s
work started, the Chief Justice told me that the Government of India wanted me to adjudicate on a labour dispute between the workmen and the management of the Hindustan Shipyard, Visakhapatnam. I was not inclined to take up this work as whatever decision I gave could become a subject of dispute in some court of law later on.

My view was that no judge of the Supreme Court should involve himself in such a matter. The Chief Justice on further enquire from the Government told me that both parties to the dispute, viz., the Government as well as the strikers wanted the matter to be decided by me and me alone and were prepared to accept my decision as final. In these circumstances I had no alternative but to agree. I however, made the condition that I would not be asked to go to Visakhapattanam in the hot weather for this work, but that the work would be done at Simla and suitable accommodation placed at my disposal there.

To this condition both the parties agreed and for my stay in Simla I was allotted a large house which had been occupied by the Governor of Burma when the government of that country was functioning from Simla during the time Burma was occupied by the Japanese. I took up this work during the vacation in the months of June and July. I examined a good deal of evidence and took the statements of the French experts who were in charge of the construction of the shipyard.

Concluded!!!