Get rid of the vestiges of colonial rule in the real sense
There was a time when the phrase ‘the law will take its course’ had a reassuring ring. No longer. These words trigger a chill down the spine. Not of the hardened criminals, but the innocent, helpless citizens who know not when they may be implicated in a horribly tangled fabricated case, arrested and jailed with no hope of bail in long years to come.
Bystanders can and have been caught in the crossfire between a police running amok and anti-social elements, minions of organised crime syndicates, alleged ‘traitors and terrorists’ who are seldom if ever brought to book. Mere allegations, insinuations and suspicion are enough to endanger your liberty and life.
The Supreme Court thunders unpredictably and spasmodically these days threatening dire consequences to errant malevolent officials, but its warnings fall on deaf ears. The ‘rule of law’ and ‘majesty of justice’ have begun to sound hollow.
The acquittal of the son of a political heavyweight in Madhya Pradesh on grounds of prosecution failing to prove its case highlights how travesty of justice unravels before our eyes everyday. The prime witness and the alleged victim turn conveniently hostile. The police fails to undertake forensic tests. Trial drags on. Political dispensations change and investigating officers and their bosses know what is good for them.
The gentleman in this case, if memory serves right, had tweeted himself bragging that ‘first avedan then nivedan then danadan’. The first to words translates application and request. The last word is problematic—slang for continuous clobbering with a cricket bat on and off the pitch.
Now the lowly official who was years ago at the receiving end of the willow has loss of memory. He says he was so absorbed receiving a phone call that he couldn’t see who was threatening or hitting him. Any one could have worn that blueshift and morphed the young politician’s face on it, etc. In interest of justice the person once claiming to be the victim should face perjury charges.
In another shocking case a young man, allegedly the accused in a gruesome rape was picked up from his house, and was shot dead in an ‘encounter’ when allegedly trying to escape by policeman escorting him. This isn’t the first and last case of extra-judicial execution to curb heinous crime by deterrent demonstration of the long arm of law. Only in this case the post mortem found only one clean bullet wound on the left side of the temple. No marks of struggle or other injuries on the body.
No less than three cops were accompanying the youth who was presumably handcuffed. How did he manage to snatch the service revolver of a police officer begs many questions. In this case the high court has been constrained to call this out as most likely a ‘fake encounter’. Who needs lynch mobs and kangaroo courts when men in uniform are prepared to undertake the job?
The Supreme Court has very recently reiterated unambiguously that no bulldozer demolition should take place till it lays down the law regarding due process to be followed before homes are razed to rubble on the charge that they are unauthorised constructions on government land or some trust property. It is amazing that these squatters have been in adverse possession of disputed land for years, in some cases decades.
Shouldn’t the municipal authorities and enforcement agencies who suddenly wake up from slumber not be prosecuted for dereliction of duty and corruption? In this instance the ‘stay’ ordered by the apex court has been repeatedly breached and no one has faced any consequence for glaring contempt.
The high courts appear more keen to assert their independence from the Supreme Court. Some learned judges have perhaps rightly said that transfers and elevations may be in the hands of the Collegium but they are not subordinate to the SC. Most unfortunately some of the most honourable judges seem to be living in a time warp. Comments made on the need for a widow for make-up, X-ray vision of a young lady advocate during her appearance are just unacceptable. These patriarchal prejudices vitiates a fair trial as much as political partisanship.
A few governors seem to have caught the bug of ‘know all holier than thou, custodians of our ancient culture’ epidemic. At the drop of the proverbial hat, the successor to the ‘Laat Sahibs’ of colonial period, they pontificate from history to science.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly urged the people to get rid of the vestiges of colonial rule. One couldn’t agree with him more if the beginning is made with discarding the archaic laws of contempt and privileges and immunities enjoyed by those who occupy offices and institutions created by colonial masters. Merely changing the names of cities and roads, or hymns and tunes played by ceremonial martial bands will not restore swadeshi democracy to health.
Our dreams can’t be allowed to turn into nightmares that are lived in broad daylight.