'All India Bar Association' an imposter

INDIA: The Sri Lankan High Commission in Delhi will register its strong protest with a body identifying itself as the All India Bar Association who had sent a Memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calling for the latter's intervention in the Sri Lankan conflict.

The Hindu carried a story based on the purported Memorandum, titled "Manmohan should Intervene" wherein the AIBA has called on the PM to rethink India's stand of non intervention in the Sri Lankan conflict.

The Daily News learns that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi has sought an urgent meeting with the Chairman with the AIBA, Adish C. Aggarawal for 11 am today to discuss the 'totally unwarranted' nature of the AIBA Memo.

This is in light of the fact that the All India Bar Association (AIBA) is not a statutory apex body equal to that of the Sri Lanka Bar Association (SLBA) for example.

The recognized statutory equivalent in India of the SLBA is the Bar Council of India, it has been pointed out. The AIBA is accordingly a limited private initiative, despite the misleading nature of its title.

Furthermore it is pointed out that the Memorandum has been signed by its Chennai based Vice-President.