“In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” thus sang the immortal bard Shakespeare. Pitambar Acharya, an astoundingly inventive mind with a brilliant academic record, rose from dust to the pinnacles of glory as a practising legal luminary through his perseverance. He had been bestowed with a uniform first class career till his graduation from the BJB College, Bhubaneswar. Having had a first class Master’s degree in Political Science from the Utkal University, he completed his llB from the same University’s law College and joined the Orissa High Court bar in 1991. Awards and accolades came showering upon him like Sriramchandra Bhanja Deo Gold Medal for securing first position in inter-college debate in the Utkal University in 1985. He was the best debater of BJB College and Utkal University for the years 1982-83, 1983-84, 1986-87. He also bagged the Vice-Chancellor’s Cup for securing 2nd position in inter-college debate (English) conducted by the Utkal University. He was elected as General Secretary, BJB College Students’ Union in 1982, subsequently elected as its President in 1984. He was also elected as the President of Utkal University law College Students’ Union in 1987. He was the State general secretary, National Students’ Union of India from 1987 to 1990. He was elected to The Orissa State Bar Council as a member in 2008 for a period of five years. He had a good fortune to have been associated with an all-time great legal luminary and former Advocate General Gangadhar Rath. He was designated as a Senior Advocate of the Orissa High Court at a younger age owing to his consistent professional excellence and adherence to the highest ethical conduct. He was specially engaged by many constitutional bodies like State Election Commission, Orissa legislative Assembly, several Government of Orissa undertakings in many important cases to defend them and appeared in cases before the Supreme Court, different High Courts in many important Constitutional, civil, criminal, corporate and banking, educational and cooperatives matters. Acharya has hundred irons in the fire and to one’s utter amazement all of them are hot indeed! He is very much in the news today as he has shot an arrow at this hour to hit the bull’s eye by joining the BJP. In an interview to The Pioneer, Acharya spoke to Sugyan Choudhury at his CDA residence in Cuttack.
Why did you join the BJPIJ
Right from my student days, I was actively busy in student politics. For ten long years, I was in student politics occupying many elected key positions like presidents and secretaries in many premier institutions of the State. Basically, I am a product of student politics. I had opted to join the Bar since 1991 to make a decent means of livelihood. For the last 27 years, I have been always apolitical. I have represented all political parties be it Congress, BJP or present ruling BJD, but all along I have maintained the highest professional code of conduct as an advocate. I shall also try to maintain the same in my profession till the end.
I opted to join the BJP not only as it is a national party but also because it is committed to an inclusive growth of the nation. It doesn’t believe in legacy. Any commoner in the party may rise to occupy the numero uno position like Narendra Modiji or like BJP national president Amit Shahji. The party has internal democracy. Even in case of Orissa, you can say a young man like Dharmendra Pradhan has a vision to catapult the State of Odisha to a higher growth trajectory. He has been working sincerely and with utmost devotion for an all-round development of Odisha. Many commoners like State president Basant Pandaji have started their careers from humble beginnings and owing to prevalence of democratic spirit, they have reached their heights. No one in the BJP believes in legacy or namedropping. That is why I thought it to be a complete, proper and ideal forum to express myself to be part of this development process.
Do you think they will do justice to you giving a party ticket in the coming electionsIJ
You see, I have joined a national political party as a worker. There is no condition or bargaining with the leaders. Frankly speaking, I have never put any precondition before my joining in the party. When you join the national mainstream of a political party, they may give you the position you deserve it or may not, but there is no bargaining.
What’s your view on the political scenario in our StateIJ
I have seen many Governments in the past. I have seen at least four to five Chief Ministers by now. All of them minus the present Chief Minister had a distinct vision of their own. They had at least some degree of concern for the State. Policies were formulated, in which they had their personal involvement; their policies were vetted, approved and then were translated into reality. But the present ruling party and the Government with its leader have no concern save shouting anti slogans against the Centre. They have one thing in common to hijack the Union agenda and activities to their own party’s advantage. Shouting against the Centre or having an anti-Federal stand shall not solve the real core issues of the State. The party in power here stages dharanas, bandhs that not only paralyse the administration but also gives the BJD an escape route that the Centre is apathetic to the State. This is the impression they want to give to the people, but in reality all economic measures, and welfare schemes like food for work, food security, MNREGA, Gaon Sathi, Anganwadi, Shikhya Sahayak, Indira Awas are Centrally-funded and this BJD Government and the party are proficient in hijacking the same to their own benefits. This is sheer hypocrisy.
What’s your opinion regarding CM Patnaik being felicitated by a national newsmagazine as the Best Administrator in the countryIJ
Be that as it may, tell me the name of any Chief Minister of our country who does not know his or her own languageIJ Either he has no interest for the Odia language or he has a terrible distaste for our mother language. Hence, I am personally shocked and appeal to the people of our State to discard such a person, who has no love for the language, no love and concern for the State, and a few non-Odia officers posing themselves as advisors to the Government and virtually running the State leaving the masses as nincompoops.
What is your considered opinion on the Collegiums for appointment of judgesIJ
I think the Collegiums system has no place in the Constitution. This is a self-designed system. This has evolved out of the judgments of the Hon’ble apex court. This has come in the wake of appointment to the first judges, second judges, third judges and recently the NJC Act for the appointment of fourth judges. Of course, the Supreme Court has struck down the NJC Act with a dissent.
Justice delayed is justice denied. There is increasing piling of cases in all High Courts. How then you think people will get justiceIJ
There are two sides to your question. First of all, with the advancement of time, people have become legally conscious and come to the courts for seeking justice. When I was a young advocate, I remember there were 5,000 to 6,000 writ petitions filed in a year. Now, it has increased to 25,000 to 30,000 per year. Regarding proportion of the judges, the findings of various law Commissions have not been strictly adhered to. There are eight to nine vacancies of judges in the Orissa High Court which must be suitably filled in. Besides, there should be mutuality between the Bench and the Bar for speedy dispensation of justice.
How independent is our judiciaryIJ
The Indian judiciary has proved as one of the best independent judiciaries in the world. If you take into account the functioning of the High Courts and the Supreme Court, you must notice the highly dispassionate and the impartial way they have been delivering justice with unimpeachable integrity, second to none in the world.