Justice Rajinder Sachar, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court and a leading personality of the Human Rights movement of the country, breathed his last on 20 April 2018 in Delhi at an age of 94. Under the joint auspices of the Centre for Protection of Democratic Rights and Secularism (CPDRS) and the Legal Service Centre, a memorial meeting was held in Kolkata on 7 May 2018 to pay tribute to the untiring fighter for human and civil rights, an upright unbending proponent of bringing justice to the oppressed and deprived from his leading position in the country’s judicial system and a veteran socialist. With befitting solemnity and regards, a host of eminent intellectuals recollected the commendable role of Justice Sachar in the history of Indian Judiciary and Human Rights movement, particularly recalling his unique contribution towards giving exposure to and suggesting ways and means to make amend for the miserable plight of the minority community through his well-known Sachar Committee Report which remained unattended to by all governments, his no less significant report on Kashmir, his bold and uncompromising attitude against the repressive Emergency which caused disruption and deprivation in his glorious career and many such other enviable achievements of this great personality. Among those who paid tributes, were Justice Chittatosh Mookherjee, former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and former Chairperson West Bengal Human Rights Commission, Shri Bimal Kumar Chatterjee Bar-at-Law and former Advocate General, Government of West Bengal, Parthasarathi Sengupta, distinguished Senior Advocate, Calcutta High Court, Prof. Miratun Nahar, eminent educationist and Human Rights campaigner, Dr. Tarun Mandal, Vice-President, Medical Service Centre and former Member of Parliament of India, Justice Malay Sengupta, former Acting Justice of Sikkim High Court and President Legal Service Centre, Dr. Subhash Dasgupta, President and Prof. Pranab Dasgupta, Secretary, CPDRS, Bhabes Ganguly, Advocate, Calcutta High Court and Secretary Legal Service Centre. Justice Malay Sengupta presided over the meeting. Shri Bibhas Chakraborty, distinguished theatre personality and President, Forum of Artistes, Cultural Activists and Intellectuals had sent a message regretting his absence because of indisposition and offering his tribute to Justice Sachar. The packed reverent auditorium of several hundred capacity experienced a solemn evening which brought back many faded out chapters of courageous and relentless fight of an uncompromising character.
Justice Rajinder Sachar, the relentless fighter remembered in Kolkata Memorial meeting
