Member of Rajya Sabha and former attorney general of India K Parasaran, while delivering the Advocate V C Rajagopalachariar (VCR) Memorial Lecture at VIT, on Wednesday, said value education must begin at schools, as the future of the country lay in the hands of children.
Parasaran urged the youngsters to learn values from their gurus and set an example to others. Values alone could change the society and penury cannot suppress high values; system fails because of failure of the value, he added.
Parasaran said principle of ‘detachment from wealth and attachment to values,’ propounded by VCR, stood out in the world where monetary gains alone depicted the worth of a person. VCR and his disciples, by following the principle have done their bit to bring hope and joy to people.
Urging bar members to help achieve judicial activism, Parasaran noted that cooperation between bench and bar was important to render speedy justice to the needy.
Erstwhile junior of VCR, V C Sadasivan, described his mentor as an ardent theosophist. Recalling his apprenticeship with VCR in 1944, he recounted enlightening anecdotes. “The whole legal fraternity of India today admires VCR for his staunch principles, hard work and client-friendly approach,” he pointed out.
VIT chancellor, G Viswanathan, in his address pointed out that the endowment was created in 1995 to commemorate the birth centenary of VCR and propagate his value-based principles among youngsters.
Expressing concern over the pendency of cases, he pointed out that 2.7 crore cases were pending in lower courts in the country, around 42 lakh cases in high courts and above 60,000 cases in the Supreme Court. Awareness must be created among the litigants not to waste precious time of the court fighting unworthy cases, that could be settled amicably, and thus creating hindrance to administration of justice, he added.