A Homage to Prof Ajjappa..

MYSORE, JUNE.03,2024: (www.justkannada.in news) On 1st June 2024 I was a guest in a Bar Association function at Mysore along with Justice Srinivas Harishkumar Both we met Dr SL Bhyrappa and spent some valuable time. SHKJ rushed back to Bangalore in urgency, me staying back. On the next morning, I spent very profitable time with Prof Ajjappa.. Even at 95, he jubilantly discussed about the works of O.W.Holmes (Common Law), Cardozo (Growth of the Law), Aharon Barak of Israel (Judge in a Democracy), Michael Kirby of Australia (On HM Seervai)& Hans Kelson (Pure Theory of Law). Oh, what a brilliant mind!! How time slipped away, astonishes me.

I was an ardent student of Prof Ajjappa in ULC at Dharwad during 1986-1989. In fact it’s he who secured admission for me after blasting VC of KUD for a defective Notification.. Those days, ULC was known as ‘Ajjappa’s College’. He had maintained a huge & well organised Law Library which even Prof Upendra Baxi had praised.. He was a tall personality and a very strict disciplinarian.. He had earned a great reputation for the college..He was ready even to lay down his life for it.

He used to bring great stalwarts like Jethmalani, Tarkunde, Rajiv Dharan, etc to impress young minds. He had brought lawyers of repute like Sri IG Hiregoudar, etc to teach law. He took classes when regular teachers were away.. During UGC Pay Scale strike, he placed students to take classes, and I was one of them.. He had immense admiration for hardworking students and staff.. He used to praise Kotre, who dedicated his life to Library..

Ajjappa was straight forward and a bit short tempered too.. He had slapped a Senator and matter had landed in court.. He was in the forefront in collecting public contributions for the bereaved family of Prof Seshadri who was brutally murdered in 1988 or so.. He had personally paid the hostel/mess fees of some poor students without seeing caste, creed, etc.. When he retired, many shed tears and I was a witness to that..

Post retirement Ajjappa was practising in K-HK and his advocacy was far from satisfactory.. He shortly quit the Bar murmuring ‘It’s better to graze sheep on the hill side than to be in court..’ Perhaps he was quoting Jeremy Bentham..

He served as Principal in SJR Law College; he had appointed me as a part timer though i lacked LLM. He taught in NLSUI Bangalore.. I am told, he too had played a role in founding it..He was also in Raipur & Calcutta.

Ajjappa has authored a few books and contributed many articles to the reputed journals.. His treatise on research methodology makes a good read.. To many his classes were not that impressive.. To a few like me, they were.. Discussions with him however were a treat, to say the least.

Dharwad was fascinating to him.. He remembered every teacher and student.. During visit, we used to see glee in his face.. He loved Mysore too and spent the evening of his life there with the sacred spouse.. Occasionally he would call me over phone and take class  on jurisprudence.. At times he would criticise our judgements.. His memory was superb and narration of facts was simply thrilling..He had deep knowledge of Roman law and history.. He had a fair exposure to Indian & western philosophies.. He was absolutely unhappy with courts’ delays..

Often he took names of M. Hiriyanna, Dr Radhakrishnan Immanuel Kant, Schopenhauer, etc.. In the past few years he was a bit unattached to the mundane things.. He donated all his valuable books to institutions as Cardozo gifted all his property to Columbia University..

Our beloved Professor Ajjappa whom I saw only yesterday, has breathed his last, today. An Era has ended creating a big void.. ‘Old order changeth, yielding place to the new…’

When Mahatma Gandhi died, Sarojini Naidu wrote ‘Let his soul not rest in peace’ far the nation needed him.. Can we pay homage to the departed MASTER in the same words?

- Krishna S. Dixit

key words: A Homage to Prof Ajjappa, Krishna S. Dixit, high court judge, Bangalore