No matter what other branches of the State fell from grace, the people of India knew that the judiciary was their last safe and steady resort. Justice in India was anything but timely but in the end it was there. British fairness in law ingrained in the Indian practice of it after independence, stood the test for over six decades, but it has been crumbling before our eyes. That’s the view of the man on the street.
But now, leading advocates of the Supreme Court themselves are confirming this. The case ending in the death of Fr Stan Swamy brought it into focus. A frail, sick and elderly priest, who could do no harm was incarcerated in the most painful and humiliating manner and even when his death was impending, he got no relief. Here is this morning’s excerpt from The India Cable: Kapil Sibal isn’t alone: senior members of the Bar are hitting out at the Supreme Court for ensuring the prosecution and jailing of activists. In an explosive interview senior advocate Dushyant Dave took on the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Zakia Jafri case, the PMLA case, issues concerning the Master of the Roster system, and opaqueness of listing of cases by the Supreme Court registry. He says the Supreme Court has crossed all lines of propriety in ordering the prosecution of activists. Mansvani Ranganathan writes that the judiciary cannot become a hollow hope, as in Just Mercy and Jai Bhim. The Dushyant Dave interview: https://youtu.be/-w0LPq9ik0I Roland. Toronto.
