Justice - How just is it?

Definition of justice - 'Quality of being just or fair'. I state this here so that we are in no confusion as to what justice means after examining some of the cases dealt by the Indian judiciary system.

The case that is now making headlines in the news hungry Indian press & TV media is that of a 14 year old girl Ruchika Girhotra's. Some 19 years ago, she was sexually assaulted by SPS Rathore in 1990s Haryana (a police inspector). Rathore was found guilty after a long and delayed trial and was awarded (or should I say rewarded) 6 months sentence and Rs.1000 despite having an eye witness. To add to his achievements, he got out on bail without serving that 6 months sentence. 3 years after the incident, the girl committed suicide successfully (had she failed, she could have been sentenced to a max of one year in prison, what an irony!!).

After 16 years of protests and fights by the victim's friends and family, Indian govt has woken up and has informed the case will be re-opened to punish all that are involvedand used as a model case. Hope only the punishment to be meted out is used as the model and not the delay! Please google for other atrocities he did to her family in the aftermath of the incident.

Cases like this shake up the very basic pillar of our judiciary system. I can understand the lack of food, lack of medicines, lack of schools/colleges in a developing country but why is there a lack of justice. I am not worried if my country's GDP goes down, stock markets crash, banking system collapse,health care system fails but I am very much concerned if the law and order is not preserved by serving justice in the right measure at the right time. Otherwise, there is nothing in the country that is worth for people in the right mind to live for. They might as well begin to break the law.

Case 1: Sentence served and revoked

Just two years before I entered my college life (in 1996/97), a ragging case shocked college asiprants like me to the spine. The murder of Navarasu, a first year medical student in a gruesome way. His body parts were distributed through out the city, allegedly by his senior John David. After a speedy trial (around 15 months), John David was found guilty and a deserving sentence was served. Note that there was a packed court during the sentence.

http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19980312/07150374.html

Not sure how many of those people know that John David is now out in the society, free as a bird. Apparently, evidence was not sufficient, so this happened in 2001.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/10/09/stories/0409223w.htm

What is it that changed in between 1998 and 2001? Hmmm, as far as I know, the Tamilnadu government. I know what you are about to ask. Were the police officials who were recommended for CM award in 1998 for solving the case returned their medals (assuming they got it) in 2001? Sorry, I don't know about that valuable piece of information.

Case 2:Sentence was served, is being served and will be served...

Indian Parliament was attacked by L-e-T and J-e-M and Mohammed Afzal was convicted in 2004 and given a death sentence to be executed in 2006. So, is he dead now?

Oh boy, don't be so fast!! The execution was stayed and a mercy plea has been submitted. Indian Govt needs to send its recommendation to the president for all such mercy plea requests. According to a news report (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/decision-on-afzal-gurus-mercy-plea-may-take/482987/), Afzal is number 22 in a list of 28 mercy pleas pending and the home ministry is planning to handle only one such petition every month. So, it will be at least June 2011 before the petition moves to the president's hands. May be if the attacks had involved killing the prime minister or a bunch of cabinet ministers, they wouldn't take so much time acting on mercy plea. It seems that the President has no time bounds to act on such requests. Why would the President run the risk of losing her second term (around 2012) by taking any decision on this?

Result, the mercy plea will be hanging in the air for some merciful president to come along and mercifully reduce the death sentence to life sentence. And, a couple of years later, he will be released on 150th birthday of some merciful leader.

Case 3: Will the sentence ever be served?

Lalu Prasad Yadav's efforts of turning around Indian railways was planned to be made a study for Harvard graduates. If there is a course on how to embezzle government money in a smart way, Lalu's multi-million dollar fodder scam in 1996/97 could very well be the fodder for it. It was the one of the most elaborate and lengthy scam in Indian history and deservingly it will get a lengthy trial as well. Around 200 people have been convicted till now and sentenced to 2 to 7 year rigorous imprisonment with some puny fines levied.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/10-convicted-sentenced-in-multimillion-fodder-scam/84908-3.html

I wonder when the cases against Lalu will come to judgement day and I hope it is sometime before he grabs a post in the central govt or state govt. He is already 62 and by the time they hand out a sentence, he may not have enough life left in him to serve it out.

These are just few that have caught our attention through the media coverage. There are many more such unsolved, in-trial cases that were once the talk of the nation. Last but not the least, the trial of 26/11 terrorist attacks are continuing into its 7th month and the only accused suddenly revealed the truth. That he did not take part in the shootings, he is being wrongly accused and he came to Bollywood to act in movies. (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/41937/i-came-mumbai-act-films.html)

Sure you did, and may be 26/11 was a movie shooting for you and just that you happened to use a real gun by mistake, we understand and we thank god there were no re-takes. Remember, you are living out of our tax money, now just don't take us for fools, Okay?

To summarize, unless we more special courts or add judges to clear the pending cases (around 54000 in supreme court alone), law breakers will not think twice before committing a crime. Our neighbor China is very fast in serving criminal justice, around 7000 death sentences ordered every year and 1700 executed. Now, I am not saying that is good, I just wanted to point out the contrast.

A tribute to the Master!!

It has been 20 wonderful years since our little Master had his debut on the big stage. I have been among the lucky to have a large part of these 20 years coincide with my prime years of interest in cricket. I have always admired at his cricketing skills but now I wonder how that is only a small part in his great achievements. The largest part, of course, is his motivation. What on earth possibly keeps him going till date? Let us see.

He has shattered all the possible batting records of other players, active and retired. Most centuries, Most runs in Test, Most runs in ODI and whatever you name. To but it in better perspective, statisticians and experts are coining new categories to hail him as its sole member. Like the other day I read, he became the first to score 30000 international runs. Of course, he is the leading run scorer in ODIs and Tests individually, so, isn't it a bit obvious? Come on, get innovative, how about, 'Sachin became the first player to score fifties on all Fridays in a calendar year!!'. So, thats how depleted the cricketing records are now in highlighting maestro's magics.

Maybe, these kind of stats would have driven him till he broke a few of them, but not to the point where there are no records to break. Could money have been his motivational factor? He has the most number of endorsements and I believe he has been the richest paid cricketer for many years, if not in the current one. Going by his philanthropic activities, I gather his motivation could not be earning more money. And he could have made more of it, when his teammates tried to seal the outcome of matches outside the stadiums.

Sachin was asked to open a library even before he made his Intl' debut and his coach was afraid that such events would make him feel that he has already achieved everything. (Source: An article by Harsha Bhogle posted in Cricinfo). He rocketed to such a stardom in his teens that for any others of his age would have proved too much to handle. Like money, fame can simply make you blind. But, he hasn't given in to fame, seen by his simplicity during TV interviews or post match conferences. So, fame is neither the motivation that we are looking for.

It is just his plain desire to play cricket, much like a school boy's desire to play gully cricket in the summer holidays, every single day. He enjoys playing cricket so much that the other things like his records, his endorsements, etc., fall by the wayside and don't distract him. His devotion to cricket is comparable to that of the artists who keep repeating their spellbound performances in a Broadway play. One never has to worry about work if he/she chooses a profession they love. Well, that sums up Master's dedication to cricket!!

Nostalgia!!!

Its that time of the year when there is no end to the fun, when you hear noises all around though people live in peace, when you see bright colors and lights all around the town, when you see people tick off items on their wish-list, yes, it is Diwali time!! Though there are many festivals and functions that are celebrated in India, none of them is as joyous or wide-spread as this one. For outsiders, Deepavali is a function celebrating the killing of a bad guy (Narakasuran) by Lord Krishna (Hindu mythology). It is celebrated by bursting crackers, lighting lamps, wearing new clothes and distributing sweets.

The word 'Diwali', or 'Deepavali' as pronounced in my mother tongue brings only happy memories from childhood to my mind. It might be the case for most of us. The first time we talk about Deepavali is when we get the school handbook, to check if Deepavali falls on a weekday so that we get a holiday!! There is something about Deepavali that brings out the passion in everyone. It might be the new clothes for some of us, laxmi vedis (crackers) and atom bombs for some and just the idea being at home eating sweets for a lot of us.

When Deepavali got closer, most of us would have pestered our parents to find out when we were going to shop for those new clothes. Once we get the date, we would wait for it as if our entire life depended on it. On that day, we would go out shopping as a family and buy new clothes for all. The deepavali shopping would inevitably end in a dinner at the restaurant and a ride to home happily asleep in auto-rickshaw.

Then comes the next big thing. Crackers!! There is a kind for everyone in that. Girls and Moms in the house might like Busvaanams (flower pots) and Sangu chakkarams (Chakras) whereas brave boys would like to go for laxmi vedi, kuruvi vedi, atom bombs and rockets. Heated discussions and fights were sure to arise among siblings and with parents in preparing the budget and list of crackers to be bought. And those lunch time comparisons with school mates on how much crackers each of us had bought.

On the eve of the function, we go early to bed to make sure we get up early. We would be pulled out of the bed and given an oil bath. Then we rush to wear that new dress and show it off to everyone at home. Personally, I was in a big joint family with my aunt, uncle and cousins in a single home, so I used to get everyone's blessing and the five rupees/ten rupees that come along with it. That was our only earned money to buy something that we like. We go out to the doorstep, burn all those crackers, get exhausted and come in to have a sumptuous meal. Vada, Laddu, Payasam... that list never ends.

The fun doesn't usually end there, we would go up to the terrace or some other place in the after lunch hours, to crack off all those bijili vedis with our friends or next door kids. We even kept some crackers to be burnt later in the month during Karthigai deepam. The next day, our routine life resumed but we would not miss a chance to wear that Deepavali dress to our school (at least, our school allowed it) to impress our class Juliets. Oh, I miss those good old days!!

Nowadays, Deepavali isn't that much fun, at least to me, I don't know if it is something to do with me or not. The passion and enthusiasm with new dresses are long gone, sweets are just namesake with most of watching waistlines, and its been nearly 10 years since I burnt crackers for Deepavali. Good grief, I don't even know what is the latest on crackers. Maybe some 'Green' Laxmi Vedi has come up which will emit less smoke!!

I am more than contended to spend my whole day watching star interviews and numerous films, with most of them being 'Ulaga tholaikatchigalil mudhal muraiyagaa...'. Though it has been 4 years since my last Deepavali at home, I am not sure if I will ever get that child in me to enjoy the Deepavali as I used to. Maybe my son will help me re-kindle the passion in Deepavali in a few years!!

My Top 10 favorite movies!!!

Right from my childhood, I have been a movie buff. Movies have been my only pastime at several points of time in my life. When I was in India, I confined myself to regional movies. Only after coming to US, I started watching English movies. Thanks to our free public library, I would have seen at least half of Top 250 movies on IMDB amongst others. I thought it would be fun to list my top 10 movies of all time with the reason why I like them. As it turned out, there was a big fight in my mind as to which one will get a spot and which one will not.

These are not listed in any specific order of greatness, it is just the order these movies came to my mind.

12 Angry men - Sidney Lumet

One can understand the greatness of this movie by the simplicity of the story line. A jury decides on the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Simple, isn't it? But, how this is developed into an intriguing 100 min movie by using 12 different facets of human mind. None of these 12 characters could be called similar, hence none of them could be done away with. Each one contributes to the movie in equal proportions, crisp writing and masterful direction takes the movie to a great height. My favorite juror is juror #4. I never think twice to see it once again. Even the Russian remake of this movie, called '12' was good, but in its own right.

Following - Christopher Nolan

This is a less known movie from the well known director. Can a movie with a running length of just 70 minutes have all the elements of a thriller and be made so much interesting? Oh my god!! The non-linear narration creates a feel that the movie is longer than what it is. With just three characters, the director keeps everyone in suspense till the mind blowing climax. The non-linear narration is something that you will definitely associate with the director on seeing Memento and The Prestige. Just WoW!! You may not see it in your library collection, the only place I was able to get it was Netflix!

The Usual suspects - Bryan Singer

I fell in love with Kevin Spacey's acting after seeing this movie. He plays it very cool, subtle, low voiced like a real criminal caught by the police. There is no clue shown in the movie anywhere to indicate that twist in the climax. Once you see that last minute collage of scenes where we get the hints, you feel you have been fooled along with Agent Kujan. The other actors contribute to a good effect as well. The only twist in the movie comes in the fag end, Kevin's narration of incidents is so good that it keeps us glued till the end.

Shawshank Redemption - Frank Darabont

This movie is long, slow paced with not so many twists but still it shines bright among all. Right from scene 1, you become empathetic with Andy Dufresne. The film gives a great message 'Never lose hope!' to everyone. Freeman's voice-over through out the movie is excellent and engrossing. One of those rare films where lines linger on your mind when you are done watching the movie. Lines like 'Andy Dufresne who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side' and 'I was honest through out my life, I had to come to jail to became crooked' are just simply wonderful.

Ocean's Eleven - Steven Soderbergh

Cool!! The only word that comes to my mind when I want to talk about this movie. Cast, pace, music and dialogues are all so apt in this movie and they make you love this movie instantly. I never get bored watching this movie, anyplace, anywhere, anytime. They made this movie so good that even the crew themselves weren't able to better it with sequels. A great time-pass movie!!

Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited away) - Hayao Miyazaki

I am not a great lover of animation movies but this one just blew me away. This movie is very thrilling and has some innovative story telling. You just start liking the movie in a few minutes into it and it shows that you can even do these kind of movies in animation. There are a couple of other good animation movies from the same director. He is the master of animation. Hats off!! Don't miss it!!

Godfather II - Francis Ford Coppola

On seeing this movie at this place, you would have completely believed that these movies aren't in any order. I mean, who doesn't like Godfather. Now I don't want to combine them both and say Godfather trilogy, each has its own driving points. But my pick is Godfather II, it has the best acting from two greats, De Niro and Al Pacino and excellent editing. Robert Duvall, an excellent actor of our times, is overshadowed by Al Pacino, but he needs special credit for playing that subdued role so well in the first 2 parts. Anytime, I scroll past the channels and see Godfather I or II, I stop and watch it for some time. Don't you?

Silence of the lambs - Jonathan Demme

Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins - Two best artists competing to steal the show, both deservingly got Oscar for their roles in this movie. There is not much of killing shown, not much of action, but the thrill element and the interaction scenes involving the lead characters are unforgettable. The editing in the scene where Jodie enters the killer's house is one of the best of all times. You won't be left with too many fingernails at the end of this movie.

Duel - Steven Spielberg

This movie produced for TV has all elements of a blockbuster. A man is pushed to the limits by a truck that is chasing him on the highway. The entire movie is on the road, focuses on th chase, how could one make that interesting? Well, if you are Steven Spielberg, you could. Given that he could make such an interesting movie with just two vehicles and one human character at his disposal, no wonder he made Jurassic Park, Schindler's list, Saving Private Ryan among other great works.

The Shining - Stanley Kubrick

No collection is complete without a movie from Stanley Kubrick. One of my favorite directors, I have seen 9 of his 16 movies and I have liked each one of them. This movie just raised the bar for horror movies that only a very few can achieve. It is genuinely scary and thrilling and has an eerie feeling to it. The setting is perfect for such a movie and Stanley doesn't miss the chance to make the most out of it. A must watch for horror lovers!!

It never rains but pours!!

BJP can certainly vouch for that now, misfortunes seem to have been lined up for them. For everyone's benefit, BJP is one of the two main national political parties in India. It all started during the Loksabha (Indian general elections) poll campaign earlier this year.

First, they had differences in nominating their prime ministerial candidate, then intra-party fighting between Arun Jaitley and BJP top brass, Varun followed up with his hate speech, to top it off, Advaniji kept going over his broken record 'Manmohan Singh is the weakest PM' and maybe he was hinting about his health, only God knows? To steal the limelight, there were disputes between CM and ministers in Karnataka and the state govt's inability to act against atrocities committed by SRS. Anyway, none of these incidents helped them to put up a fight against UPA or Congress in particular and hence they were shown the door by Indian electorate.

That loss must have hurt BJP for sure. So, after that we expected some re-grouping and re-building to save the image of the party among masses. Nope, it only got worse. Nobody was ready to take the responsibility or nail down the cause of the defeat. An open acceptance came later from the party lead and each one of the top leaders gave their own reason for BJP's defeat.

Commotion within the party after such a loss took things to a point of no return. Jashwant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and other top leaders came out in open against top BJP office bearers. They tried to resolve their internal disputes in public. The streak of such incidents is continuing till date with the latest one being Jashwant Singh's book on Jinnah. What is it that is causing so much issues in BJP? Lack of tolerance, I would say.

How many of these BJP leaders have read the book on Jinnah in full? If BJP announces that the views expressed in the book are Jashwant's personal views and they don't endorse that, then why expel him as a knee jerk reaction? On one hand, BJP claims itself to be a secular party but on the other hand, they couldn't tolerate someone claiming Jinnah to be secular in his book. When someone writes a book on a leader, they have a certain level of freedom to express their point of view. I haven't read the book but if BJP leaders have, why can't they express their reasons to expel him? They themselves keep reducing the chances of getting any votes from non-Hindu communities.

More importantly, all these issues keep detracting BJP from playing the role of a constructive opposition party. There are so many other important issues we have in hand. Several states are in drought, swine flu is spreading across, a few key state elections are coming up but BJP says "No sir, we are busy getting the title of Big Joke Party, please leave us alone".