Opinion Democracy’s falling standards

However,it is utterly unprofessional for lawyers appearing for Mukesh and Anil to canvas their clients’ point of view and trade charges when the case is pending before the Supreme Court. In this context,the anguished observations of Justice Aftab Alam expressed in felicitous language in the recent landmark judgment of Supreme Court holding R.K. Anand guilty of contempt,compels attention. Justice Alam bemoans “the general erosion of the professional values among lawyers at all levels… we find that even some highly successful lawyers seem to live by their own rules of conduct. We have viewed with disbelief senior advocates freely taking part in TV debates or giving interviews to a TV reporter/anchor of the show on issues that are directly the subject matter of cases pending before the court and in which they are appearing for one of the sides or taking up the brief of one of the sides soon after the TV show”. Justice Alam also expressed the concern of the Bench (Justices BN Agrawal and G.S. Singhvi) that “no judicial system in a democratic society can work satisfactorily unless it is supported by a bar… whose members are monetarily accessible and affordable to the people”. If past experience is any guide,it would be too much to expect Bar Councils to take appropriate measures in this behalf. Successful senior lawyers must introspect and heed the wise words of the Supreme Court. The Court is not providing a reformist agenda but has rightly emphasised that the solution must come from the lawyers themselves. Is that a fond hope? I hope not.

All pervasive politics

Politics has an uncanny way of creeping into several forbidden fields like religion and administration of justice. Exposition of religious tenets is influenced by political considerations which overtake objective theological arguments. Historical facts are suppressed or censored because it would be unpalatable to bare the truth. It is undeniable that sometimes political considerations do influence the appointment of judges and selection of persons to top legal posts. Incompetent persons are appointed because of intense pressure of some political groups.

Now politics has entered a new field—the basic right to food. The Shiv Sena has launched its own brand of Mumbai’s favourite street food,under the brand name Shiv Vada Pav. An estimated 200,000 vada pavs are sold every day in Mumbai. The Congress,not to be undone,is now contemplating appropriating another popular Maharashtrian snack,and selling it as ‘Congress Kanda Pohe’. If this trend persists we may well have Muslim League biryani or Christian cake and pudding. Thank God there is no Parsi Zoroastrian political party. Otherwise the emergence of Parsi dhanshak would be an irresistable item on the menu. To a true secular foodie,what matters is the taste and the zest of eating. Names are of no consequence.