Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Convictions by a Gujarat fast track court of 14 persons for the crimes of murder, rape and arson committed by them against the Muslims in the post-Godhra riots in 2002 is a timely reminder that wheels of justice grind slowly but sternly. The right to justice of the bereaved families has been vindicated. One of the shocking findings of the Court is that Muslim families who had fled to a jungle after mobs had burnt their houses and the local mosque in the village returned after their sarpanch assured them of police protection. That assurance turned out to be false because the police were nowhere on the scene when the subsequent massacre took place. Police inaction and collusion were largely responsible for the killings. Severe punishment should be meted out to the culpable members of the police force, sparing no one however high.
The same pattern was discernible during the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Several perpetrators of horrific crimes against the Sikhs got off scot free because of shoddy police investigation and half-hearted prosecution. This state of affairs drove aggrieved family members into militancy. I am not justifying militancy, but try and understand the feelings of those when they see the persons who butchered and ravaged their families roaming luxuriously at large. Instead of asking them to forget their intense pain those responsible for pushing the youth into militancy deserve to be punished. The most significant feature of the Gujarat convictions is the dent made into the culture of impunity hitherto fostered by the smug confidence of the perpetrators of the crimes that nothing will happen to them despite the shouting of NGOs and human rights activists. The salutary message of the Gujarat verdict is that crime does not and should not pay.
Cash for question
Our MPs are not ordinary mortals. They are the elected representatives of the people whose views our Supreme Court takes into account when determining the constitutionality of laws. Consider the service they render to the nation when putting questions in Parliament. Why make a hue and cry if they charge for their services especially when the charges by present standards are so cheap. After all they have to make a living which they cannot do even on the recently increased emoluments. Does not an average policeman supplement his income by other means? Besides MPs have to recoup their illegally incurred election expenses.
Enough of jesting. These cash-for-question shameless gentry should be ostracised and it should become difficult for them to appear in public. Will that happen? Unlikely, judging by the current level of our political morality. More likely they will be re-elected and possibly occupy a ministerial post. After all we are a vibrant democracy.
Trifles
Our nation is faced with gigantic problems which have defied solutions. Yet time and energy is wasted on trifles. Scenes of smoking in films which do not exhort or encourage smoking are sought to be banned. Non-smokers were not driven to Lady Nicotin by seeing Humphrey Bogart8217;s tilted cigarette in Casablanca or Dev Anand8217;s style of smoking. Our Supreme Court has ruled that exhibition of movies is included in the free speech guarantee in our Constitution. The result of this ban will be a prolonged legal battle. The only benefit will be to lawyers charging fat fees and having hefty retainers from the resourceful tobacco industry.
Bangalore is a fine city with a memorable name. Now the name is to be changed to Bangaloru. Has not Karnataka got other urgent matters to deal with? Or will the change of name lead to improvement in the state of the roads and the infrastructure in the city. The latest move is to change Indian Airlines to Indian. What is the compelling reason? Crores will be spent on changing the name, repainting the aircraft etc. The only tangible benefit will be to the contractors entrusted with the work. Remember La Rochefoucauld8217;s wise admonition: 8216;8216;Those who apply themselves too much to little things usually become incapable of great things.8217;8217;
