There are not many books on law and psychiatry — Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan

CHIEF Justice of Supreme Court of India Shri KG Balakrishnan released a book, Law and Psychiatry, written jointly by advocate Shri PS Sreedharan Pillai and noted psychiatrist Dr KS Mohan, in New Delhi on May 6. Another book, Other View, written by Shri Pillai, was also released by Union Minister for Overseas Shri Vayalar Ravi at the same function.

Supreme Court judges Shri Cyriac Joseph and Shri KS Radhakrishnan, BJP MP Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Shri MP Virendra Kumar, Shri MK Raghvan, MP from Calicut, and many other distinguished people were also present on the occasion. Shri Ajithan of Malayalee Sahityavedi welcomed the guests and the gathering.

Congratulating Shri Pillai and Dr KS Mohan for the book, Shri KG Balakrishnan said the writers “blended psychiatry with law perfectly”. He said the psychiatric problems, the Mental Health Act along with many related rules have been dealt with extensively in the book. “The book will be useful for lawyers, students and also for psychiatrists. The book has come out well. I congratulate Shri Pillai for this intellectual exercise. I hope he would continue to study and conduct research to bring out more good books,” he said adding that books are available in plenty of subjects in the market, but when needed right books are not found.

Releasing the book, Other View, which is a compilation of articles written by Shri PS Sreedharan Pillai in Mathrubhumi, Union Minister Shri Vayalar Ravi said though Shri Pillai and he belong to two different political ideologies, he attended the function because Shri Pillai is a good friend of him. “Though we disagree with each other on various issues, I find that Shri Pillai deals with the issues very deeply and extensively. This work of him is admirable,” he said. Shri Ravi also expressed concern over the increasing indiscipline among judges and termed it an unfair practice.

Describing Shri Pillai as “a politician with a difference” Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph said the book, Law and Psychiatry, is an intellectual exercise by Shri Pillai and will be very fruitful. He said the Mental Health Act has not been properly understood in the country by the lawyers and other people. Referring to the ridiculous portrayal of psychiatrists in some films and some shows he said the psychiatrists are also scientists and they should be respected in that sense. This book helps people understand the work of a psychiatrist in right perspective,” he said.

Justice Shri KS Radhakrishnan who wrote the foreword of the book Law and Psychiatry, said psychiatry is a difficult subject but Shri Pillai has explained it in the book in a very simple language. “A good research has been done before writing the book. It will be useful for academicians, lawyers and the entire legal fraternity,” he said.

Shri MP Virendra Kumar, managing director of Mathrubhumi daily, said Shri Pillai is both a politician and a writer. But when he writes something he distances himself from politics. This is the quality of his writings.

BJP leader Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy came down heavily on the unethical practices surfacing in politics today. He said a section of people in politics today are those who should not be in politics at all. “There are mainly nine categories of the people who are in politics—people with background of freedom struggle, ideological commitment, student politics, movements like the one started by Jaiprakash Narayan, family, celebrities like film personalities, professionals like lawyers, teachers and professors, and criminals. The last category is of the people who should not be in politics. This category needs to be plucked from the politics and the country needs good people in politics,” he said.