Sunil R P Sethi
From road side Refugee School under a Banyan tree outside Nagrota Camp to the final seat of Judicial power he travelled long distance with a firm commitment to a cause too dear to him. Taught by his elder brother who was more like a father or may be much more to him. All his life he followed what he was taught in his formative years by his elder brother.
From young boy working as office hand for political set up of his brother, he learnt the art of speaking his heart out. Always full of commitment and having true honour to his words, he learnt hard way and kept it close to his chest. From political help to student leader with extraordinary capacity of convincing others took him to become the president of student union and then to a debating figure of repute in prestigious Aligarh Muslim University where he went to study law.
He came back completing his studies to join elder brother and immersed himself in service to the cause propagated and taught by his brother. Law degree was of no use. He could see worries and problems in the eyes of his mother who had struggled all her life for her children and lived most hard life post displacement. Life without husband at a very young age with three children was very difficult time for her mother. Only solace was eldest son who had chosen his path and was looking after family but needs were much and more than resources.
Marriage of elder brother brought happiness in the family which had henceforth eluded and smiles saw the address of his house first time. Mother had a helping hand now to serve large number of comrades visiting and staying at her house. Elder brother was busy with his commitment to politics and younger brother was trying hard to make a place for himself in life. Despite political clout of elder brother as legislator of ruling party and at times when getting Govt. job for educated youth was not difficult, he couldn’t get job as elder brother was too principled to seek favour for his younger brother though his one word could have easily settled his brothers. Younger brother got selected in Indian Army as an officer on his own efforts when recruitment in Army was open. Then his brother decided for him to join legal profession for stability of the family. He was reluctant but there was no way he could say NO.
Elder brother did make one recommendation for him, of asking leading advocate of that time D. D. Thakur to take him as a junior. He joined the office and it took him very less time to get to close books of his senior and mentor. His dedication and commitment to his senior was so complete that he never ever disobeyed his senior and in return was treated like younger brother by his senior. He had two fatherly figures in his life. He continued his commitment to both till his last breath.
He got to himself in short times and when his senior got elevated as judge he shifted to his office with close friend S. Joginder Singh but continued to attend office of his senior to help his son to get established in the same profession as his son was also pursuing law at that time. His love and affection to his own associates was no less. He had his office cum residence in Srinagar and once when his family was staying there and his close chamber associate visited Srinagar with his wife and there was only one bedroom, he asked his wife and two minor sons to sleep on floor with beddings in the outside room used as office so that his elder son and his daughter in law could be comfortable.
His life line was his daughter who, on papers ,was daughter of his elder brother. He was a doting father for her daughter and lived with her every moment, in her happiness, in her sorrows, in her pains when she fell sick. For him nobody, just nobody, was as important as his daughter. He was the happiest person when she got admission to Medical College. His sons grew up looking at their father from a distance but always trying to live by his standards, though they were too high. He had love for everyone.
He had long list of friends as he had quality of making friends with everyone he met. He could easily connect with persons of all ages. His friends were all chosen by destiny rather by him. He had special bondage with Sh. Kulwant Singh Johal who was both a friend and a son to him and who always respected and reciprocated similar love and regards till his last .His evening post retirement always used to be complete with discussions with Sh. Sikandar Anand. His friends stood with him through worst crises. How could he ever forget all the good done by steady friend Dr. C. L. Gupta or Dr. Zutshi throughout his life.
Marriage of his daughter with Dr. Saini was probably the reward God had given to him for a life well lived and service to relations and humanity he did. A son-in-law who was far better than his sons, who always stood with him in all his difficult times. Presence of Dr. Saini in his life was reassuring to whole family in the wake of his sickness when he was detected with Colon malignancy within months of his retirement. His daughter and son in law was with him in all medical institutions of country wherever he was taken and he felt satisfied holding hands of his daughter while undergoing chemotherapy which used to drain life out of him.
One person who stood with him in all thick and thin was his wife who moulded herself to live as per his ideas and ideology.
It was during this time he was called upon to take charge of first anti-graft body of the state. He was advised by the doctors not to accept because of his falling health and was vehemently opposed by his family too but he took challenge as he wanted to fight till last. Life thereafter was difficult, very difficult. He used to be on chemotherapy on Saturday and Sunday which schedule he fixed to be able to attend his court sittings in time. When he used to come out of chemotherapy on Sundays or at times on Saturday the body used to be totally unwilling to work on Monday mornings but his commitment was far more important than physical pains. Numbness in his fingertips and toes was making it impossible to work but he used to warm them to keep going. He had more life and was also writing books till his end came.
He started family trust in the name of his parents, worked for the downtrodden and the underprivileged and was full of life even when life was leaving him. The last commitment he took from me was to always keep his family together, to always remember people who had been good to him and who stood by him and be firm on cause and live life of honesty and truthfulness. His love to grandchildren and their reciprocity made life easy for him when he was suffering. Having food together with family and waiting for all to come was a routine he followed. Sundays were exclusively kept for family get-together.
His relationships with Mr Parveen Gupta, Mr Vijay Mahajan, Mr Parveen Anand, Mr Shiekh Mustafa, Mr Hafiz-ul-Rehman , Justice M. L. Koul, Justice N.C. Jain, Justice Gopal Gowda and so many more were all very important for him and he did justice to all his relations. His death affected all but more to his grandchildren. Such was his faith on his blood that he didn’t leave any will. His life was his will.
Death came on 17th January 2007 when he was shifted to Chandigarh where his mentor was also admitted with serious ailments. At airstrip he was remembering the time when he was acting Chief Justice in Chandigarh. Time had changed but not his friends in Chandigarh who were all concerned for his well being. The time spent on airstrip proved fatal as oxygen in cylinder just finished when he reached hospital and second cylinder didn’t function. He was rushed to ICU but he lost breath on the way. Ironically few days thereafter his senior also left this world to again meet his favorite junior in the other world. He was never informed about death of his disciple and was told that he was also undergoing treatment in same hospital. .
Justice R.P. Sethi comes after ages. Finding a parallel is impossible. He set the high standards of morality and principles, difficult to emulate. But try we must and trying we are.
(The author is senior advocate)
srps7737@gmail.com
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