God does not forgive nor forget: Justice D.V. Ramana bids farewell with bitterness and grace

Indore: "God does not forgive nor forget," were the words echoed with profound bitterness by Justice Duppala Venkata Ramana, a Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, as he prepared to demit office on Tuesday. What is traditionally a moment of reflection and gratitude turned into a critique of a system that, in his eyes, had inflicted deep and unwarranted personal hardship.

"It was a remarkable period of my life," Justice Ramana said at his farewell function in Indore, his voice steady, yet laden with pain.

"I was transferred from the Andhra Pradesh High Court to the Madhya Pradesh High Court without any reason. I was asked for options. I opted for the state of Karnataka, so that my wife could receive better treatment," he said, referring to his wife's battle with PNES (Paroxysmal Non-Epileptic Seizures) and severe brain complications following the COVID-19 pandemic.

But his plea -- a husband's earnest request born from compassion -- fell on deaf ears.

The Supreme Court, he said, disregarded his choice, and what followed was a relentless and ultimately futile struggle for a compassionate hearing.

He had submitted formal representations to the Supreme Court on July 19, 2024, and again on August 28, 2024, reiterating the severity of his wife's medical condition.

"But the representation was neither considered nor rejected," he lamented.

Another appeal during the tenure of the previous Chief Justice also went unanswered.

"I received no response. A judge like me expects at least a humane consideration. I was disheartened and deeply pained," he added.

He acknowledged that the current Chief Justice of India B R Gavai might have been more sympathetic -- but it came "too late in the day as I am demitting office."

Justice Ramana expressed his belief that the transfer was executed with "ill intention to harass me." "Anyway, my transfer order seems to have been issued with ill intention and to harass me. I suffered as I was transferred from my home state for obvious reasons," he stated, a veiled reference to unseen forces.

"I am happy to satisfy their ego. Now they are retired. God does not forgive nor forget. They will also suffer in another mode," he added.

Despite the bitterness, his speech was not without dignity and resilience.

A first-generation lawyer, Justice Ramana reflected on his life: "I bore witness to the resilience of human existence, the power of human struggle, dignity in poverty, and most importantly, unshakable hope and faith." "These ordinary, everyday experiences" taught him that "except hard work, there is no shortcut to success".

His career, he acknowledged, was marked by "struggles and bitter experiences" that eventually led him to "diversify my activities." From the moment he joined the judicial service, he was subjected to "conspiratorial scrutiny." "My family has suffered in silence,” he shared, "But ultimately, the truth will always prevail."

He invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Justice Ramana stressed that every achievement in his life came after enduring setbacks and hardships.

He embraced these challenges, believing that "every failure carries a seed of equivalent advantage." "I never claimed to be a scholarly judge or a great judge. But I always believed that the ultimate purpose of the justice delivery system is to provide justice to the common man".

Justice Ramana maintained he was "subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny" as he spoke in the presence of brother judges and the advocate fraternity.

It may be noted that the Supreme Court collegium proposed the transfer of Justice Ramana from his native high court of Andhra Pradesh to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in August 2023. Justice Ramana said he had requested that his transfer proposal be reconsidered and sought to be moved to the Karnataka High Court, but the collegium did not consider it.

He said the collegium did not find merit in his request and resolved to reiterate its recommendation to transfer him to the Madhya Pradesh High Court as a permanent judge.

"I was asked for options. I opted for the state of Karnataka so that my wife gets better treatment at NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru), but it was not considered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court," he said.

"However, as fortune would have it, the bane turned into a boon for me because I received immeasurable love, support, and cooperation from my brother judges as well as members of the Bar at Jabalpur and Indore," Justice Ramana averred.

Justice Ramana said the "transfers were expected to rattle me, but they did not. I did the opposite".

"I have made lasting contributions in each of the two states -- Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. I had an opportunity to serve in the land of Amravati, Krishna, Godavari, and Narmada. I have truly served justice. I am blessed for these opportunities," he told the gathering.

Justice Ramana noted he has come a long way after starting as a judicial second-class magistrate in 1994.

"I have faced many challenges in my life and realised that, except for hard work, there are no shortcuts to success. The journey of struggle and bitter experiences in my career helped me diversify my activities. From the day I joined the judicial service till I reached this position in the judiciary, I was subjected to conspiratorial scrutiny. But ultimately, the truth will always prevail, 'Satyamey Jayate'," he said.