“At a time when the general perception is that the judiciary is getting weakened due to various reasons, it is only activists, agitators and progressive thinkers who still have the strength to fight for getting justice delivered to the public and lead the country on the right path,” the former Supreme Court Judge V. Gopal Gowda has said.
Speaking at the 90th birthday programme of trade union leader and progressive thinker K.S. Sharma in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Gopal Gowda said that only those who have imbibed the Marxist principles of distribution of resources and facilities equally to all have the courage to speak the truth to one’s face.
Mr. Gopal Gowda likened to Mr. Sharma to the activists who continue to fight for the right causes.
Supreme Court advocate Mohan Kataraki said that although a Marxist, K.S. Sharma believes in the judiciary and through the judicial route, he has managed to get justice for many.
“Those who say that after Independence no progress has been achieved, should listen to what Mr. Sharma says. Although he retired in the 1990s, he still continues to fight for social justice,” he said.
The former Minister and MLC H. Vishwanath lauded the contribution of Mr. Sharma and said that no trade union leader has opened the eyes of the governments like Mr. Sharma has done.
Presiding over the function and responding to the felicitation, Mr. Sharma emphasised the need for the working class to understand fascism. “The working class should become the ruling class. Until the people became sensible and intelligible, changes will not happen,” he said.
Stressing that he is not satisfied with what he has achieved so far, Mr. Sharma said that reconstruction of society is not possible without the basis of Marxism. The tragedy is that beneficiaries are becoming part of the system and failing to raise their voice, he said.
Earlier, the former MLC Mohan Limbikai, journalist Mallikarjun Siddannavar and professor K.S. Kaujalagi spoke on the life, fight and contribution of Mr. Sharma.
On the occasion, artist Siddu Itagi made a portrait of Mr. Sharma, while another artist Harish Malappanavar made his bust in clay. As many as nine volumes on the analysis of State and national political developments were released.
