sambalpur lawyers adopted Gandhian style of protest

Lawyers of Sambalpur seemed to have adopted Gandhian pattern of protest. Contrary to past, the lawyers were seen piling on the entrance road of the court for more than hours on Saturday afternoon. Dressed in their formal black court and fastening their mouths in black cloth, in a close look, the lawyers were actually protesting the visit of the chief Justice of Orissa high. But the chief justice (acting) Mr. I M Quddusi came well in advance to the scheduled time and went back inaugurating the 'mediation center' inside the court premises for which he purpose he visited Sambalpur. However the function was not attended by a single lawyer as they had decided to boycott his visit.
“As per the decision of bar association, the lawyers boycotted the programme of Chief Justice in protest against the delay in the high court bench matter. We organized a silence protest to show our anguish to the CJ of high court. We did it in a peaceful and silent way”, the president of the Sambalpur Bar Association Pradeep Bohidar told.
Sources said, the lawyers of the region are ups in arm since a long time demanding the establishment of high bench. The agitation includes ‘Bandh’, picketing and some time violent protest. Earlier in some occasions the lawyers have ransacked offices during their protest. “We have never crossed any limit except on few occasions. But now want to make our agitation in a peaceful manner”, the Secretary of the Bar Association Mr. CR Panda told.
On the other hand, in connection to the demand of the establishment of a high court bench, bar association of Sambalpur has taken a decision to oppose high court justices incase they visit to Sambalpur. Over the past few years, not a single justice of high court has ever visited Sambalpur. But the acting CJ Mr. Quddusi decides to visit Sambalpur soon he took over the charge of the high court.
“I came to Sambalpur to inaugurate the mediation centre. The center will be quite helpful to speed up the pending cases as through thus people will get justice in time”, Chief Justice I M Quddusi told However he denied any information about the protest of the lawyers in view of his visit to Sambalpur. “I have no such information about the lawyers’ protest”, Justice Quddusi told while talking with the press soon after the inauguration of the mediation centre.
On the establishment of high court bench, he refused to give any comment “Government will take decision on it after the report submitted by the Pal commission. So at present I can not give any comment on this issue”, Justice Quddusi told.
Sources said, on the first day the 42 cases were taken up in the ‘meditation centre’ where both parties of the cases related to land dispute, marriage, and other civil litigations were negotiated for an amicable settlement. “We have taken 42 cases on a single day. Both parties have attended and we hope an earlier solution of the cases”, district judge (Sambalpur) SC Mishra told.