Mathews J Nedumpara.

Collegium is a nasty business, a synonym for nepotism and favouritism. It is not in the Constitution. The powerful lobby of dynasties of lawyers and judges invented it by rewriting the Constitution. Blood was proved to be thicker than water. Since 1993, that is exactly when Collegium was created by judicial legislation, it has mostly appointed only the kith and kin of judges and senior lawyers and their juniors; so too the progenies of the Governors, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers and their favoured ones. It meant denial of opportunities to the more deserving and eligible who have no godfathers. The Parliament unanimously amended the Constitution to establish an independent mechanism for appointment based on merits — NJAC. However, the elite dynasties of lawyers and judges torpedoed it using the so-called PIL as a tool. It may surprise you that in a country of 140 crores of people, I was the only soul who came forward to question the PIL, a fraud. Prashant Bhushan was at the forefront to oppose NJAC. The elite dynasties could quite successfully create a false perception that NJAC is a Sarkari Commission. The public at large was not told that the NJAC too is only a mini Collegium, far from being a Sarkari Commission. The common man is not aware even today that three out of six members of NJAC are judges. The propaganda by the elite lobby led by Nariman, Dhawan, Divan, Bhushan et al was that the independence of the judiciary is at stake. What is the reason they offered? The presence of two eminent men representing the civil society — you and I — to be selected by a committee consisting of the PM, the CJI and the Leader of the Opposition will destroy the basic structure of the Constitution of India. Ever since the NJAC judgment, a manifest fraud on the Constitution, I have been persistently and relentlessly trying for reconsideration of the judgment by the Supreme Court. The Court made a grave error. It has a duty to correct it. I will continue my efforts till I succeed.