Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Highlights Krishna as Early Arbitrator at Kerala High Court’s Arbitration Centre Launch
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, drew a historical parallel between Lord Krishna and modern arbitration practices during the inauguration of the Kerala High Court’s new Arbitration Centre on August 17. Meghwal referenced Krishna’s role as an early mediator in the Hindu epic, *Mahabharata*, illustrating the importance of arbitration in conflict resolution.
At the event, Meghwal recounted how Krishna attempted to mediate between the Kauravas and Pandavas to prevent the Kurukshetra war, suggesting that Krishna could be viewed as the first arbitrator. He highlighted Krishna’s efforts to offer a minimal yet acceptable settlement to Duryodhan, which was ultimately rejected, leading to the great battle.
“Lord Krishna was essentially the first mediator or arbitrator during the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas,” Meghwal stated. He quoted lines from the poem *Rashmirathi* by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, which reflect Krishna’s proposal for a compromise: “Give justice, even if it’s in half; and if there is any problem in this, then give only five grams; keep all your land. We will happily eat there, we will not raise the sword on our family! Duryodhan could not give that too.”
The Minister used this historical context to underline the significance of arbitration as a means to resolve disputes peacefully and efficiently. He also emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing arbitration processes, referencing recent amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act in 2015, 2019, and 2021. These amendments aim to streamline arbitration proceedings, promote institutional arbitration, and minimize reliance on ad-hoc arbitration.
The newly inaugurated Arbitration Centre at the Kerala High Court is designed to address the rising backlog of judicial cases by offering a quicker and more cost-effective alternative to traditional court proceedings. Alongside the centre’s launch, a dedicated website was introduced to facilitate its operations.
Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, A. Muhamed Mustaque, praised the establishment of the centre as a significant step forward. He stressed that courts should focus on larger public causes and that private disputes should be resolved through arbitration to alleviate the burden on the judiciary. Justice Mustaque also called on Central and State governments to use the new centre for faster adjudication of disputes.
The event was attended by several notable figures including Justices Dinesh Kumar Singh and PB Sureshkumar, Senior Advocates Anil Xavier and KL Varghese, Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association President Yeshwanth Shenoy, Bar Council of Kerala Chairman Ajith TS, State Attorney N Manoj Kumar, Additional Solicitor General of India ARL Sundaresan, Member of Parliament Hibi Eden, and other judges of the Kerala High Court.
(With inputs from agency)
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