Mohammad Hidayatullah quotes - page 2

Please do not worry, I never read anything which you write. (Mohammad Hidayatullah)
There is no higher principle for the guidance of the Court than the one that no act of Courts should harm a litigant and it is the bounden duty of Courts to see that if a person is harmed by a mistake of the Court he should be restored to the position he would have occupied but for that mistake. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
This was an attempt of not creating 'forward looking judges' but the 'judges looking forward' to the plumes of the office of Chief Justice. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
In the most inalienable of such rights a distinction must be made between possession of a right and its exercise. The first is fixed and the latter controlled by justice and necessity. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
Law and order represents the largest circle within which is the next circle representing public order and the smallest circle represents security of State. It is then easy to see that an Act may affect law and order but not public order, just as an act may affect public order but not security of the State. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
I spoke in debates arranged by the Indian students in London and once V. K. Krishna Menon opposed me. The debate concerned the role of Asia in world affairs and I used the word Asiatic. Menon raised a laugh against me by saying that he did not like the word because it rhymed with ‘lunatic' although I should consider myself free to use it. He advised me to use the word ‘Asian' instead. When my turn came for reply, I thanked him for his advice but preferred to stick to the Asiatics adding that he had no objection of Menon calling an Asian although the word rhymed with ‘Simian'. This brought the house down and even Menon joined in the laughter and clapping. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
The family connection with the Hindu Holy of Holies (Benares) was apparent in the many Hindu traditions and customs observed in our house-hold. Beef was as taboo as pork was and Divali used to be observed with Divas, as indeed several other Hindu festivals. The orthodox Muslims looked askance at us and we merited Iqbal's couplet: "The orthodox preacher considers me as an Unbeliever and Unbleiver thinks I am a Muslim." View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
I was so excited to hear the Trinity College the first night of my stay in the College: Trinity's loquacious clock Who never let the quarters, night and day, Slip by him improclaimed, and told the hours Twice over with a male and female voice... View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
But many other Indians are cast in that mould, Indians in their basic culture though their high culture is western. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
In the car, President Nixon seemed relaxed and quite flattered by the response of the people. Characteristically he asked me: "Mr President, do people always turn out like this to greet the Indian President or is this because of the President of the United States?” I sensed the comparison. I quietly replied ”Mr President, I would suspect that many youngsters are here to see what a bullet-proof car looks like!”. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah
In his concurring judgment in Golaknath v. State of Punjab (AIR 1967 SC 1643), he held that fundamental rights are outside the amendatory process, if the amendment seeks to abridge or take away any of the rights, and that for abridging or taking away fundamental rights, a constituent body will have to be convoked. (Mohammad Hidayatullah)
His Judgment in E. M. S. Namboodripad v. T.N. Nambiar (AIR 1970 SC 2015) illustrates his deep study of the teachings of Marx, Engels and Lenin. Indeed, in the course of the said judgment, he pointed out how Communists in our country distorted the approach of those eminent men. View quote
Mohammad Hidayatullah