Regarding his efforts to increase the green cover in Delhi through various orders requiring litigants to plant trees, Justice Waziri observed that such directions happened collaterally.
“(Through) an interplay of the powers of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India read with Section 482 of CrPC, I found when there is scope of healing wounds. The best way was to ask the litigant to do something for the city. It was more prudent than sending them to jail or depositing fines… Boond boond se hi saagar banta hain. Each tree which has been planted here will count in the years ahead. It was heartening to see people come and wanting to become a part of this process, to have agency in the direction of court,” he said.
He concluded his address with a couplet by Sahir Ludhianvi: “Kal aur aaenge, nagmo ki khilti kaliyan chunne waale, hum se behtar kehne waale, tumse behtar sunne waale.” (loosely translated: Tomorrow more people will come, who pick the blooming buds of songs, who speak better than me, who listen better than you)
Source: Barandbench
