It matters to every one as well

IS DEMOCRACY A DANGEROUS CREED?

 Often we have to become slaves of circumstances. When people claim that the reason for all ills of India is too much or unbridled freedom, I cannot help agreeing but at the same time when they attribute it to democracy, it is difficult to accept,  as the two are different from each other just as education and literacy are. Democracy has to provide you fundamental freedom while in autocracy  it is optional. So if you enjoy freedom under a noble and benevolent autocrat you cannot  claim autocracy is good as you cannot claim democracy is bad when you have irresponsible and in disciplined citizens .  In other words, you should not be a slave of circumstances. I have to say this emphatically because for too long, I have the misfortune of people praising the past especially the British rule in this country.

  To me often, it appears that this country is surviving because of the Supreme Court (SC). I am amazed at the spectrum of issues and the amplitude of cases they have to deal day in day out.  Starting with environment and science they have to give their verdict on issues political, apolitical, important and irrelevant. But for the Supreme Court of India, Delhi would have become uninhabitable even in the 1980s. I remember smog totally covering Delhi and without the aid of instruments you cannot land in Delhi. Your face and dresses would give out soot when washed. It was the determined effort of SC of India that forced all DTC buses and auto rickshaws to change to CNG.  Similarly, it is the SC of India which had to force the citizens to travel safe by forcing them to wear helmets in two wheelers and belts in four wheelers. Whether it is followed in letter and spirit in the whole country is a moot point. Since the governments are failing in their duties, the courts have to waste their time and energy in administering and saving the country and its people. But when  they do,  it is dubbed as judicial activism. If they don’t do who will do?

  The curse of this country is that only the miniscule minority who work with conscience would be dumped with  and forced to  work and also found fault with for minor mistakes, while the lazy and scrupulous counterparts who enjoy life at others expense are not only permitted to go scot free, but not even blamed and sometimes even rewarded. Since the courts are by and large working, they are forced to work beyond the call of duty. That is why we have till the end of February 2015, Sixtyone thousand three hundred pending cases before the SC of India and over 4.5 lakh cases in High Courts of India. But if a political leader wants a case to be taken for argument immediately, even if it is a flimsy one like  defamation, the judge has to oblige. If the courts are permitted to do their duty unfettered, we will not only avoid delay in justice which amounts to denial but would not have permitted a whopping 186 newly elected Members of Parliament with pending criminal cases against them to enter and spoil the divinity of Parliament.