If the colours of our Flag were to be changed for artistic reasons, there would be an outrage.If the tune or the lyrics of our Anthem were to be changed for artistic reasons, there would be an outrage.Yet when our laws and legal procedures are misrepresented in movies and serials, there is just an audience.The first thing they teach you about law - "Ignorance of law, is not an excuse"Yet not just the vast illiterate population, even the literate are ignorant about the law.The purpose of cinema is to entertain, but we seem to "know" about law and sex, only through it.
Its amazing to hear people say, Sanjay Dutt has suffered.What about the illiterate millions, who are stuck in a whirlpool called our legal system.They dont have access to good lawyers, and its not easy to wait for decades and take days off to attend courts. And they cant afford to visit the Supreme Court or High Court, if justice is denied in lower courts.
If the Arms Act is so unfair, why not attempt to change it?Sanjay Dutt has had a parent and now a sibling in Parliament.What have they done to make the legal system better.Instead of voicing pain over just Sanjay Dutt.
Why doesnt the film fraternity, attempt to make a difference to our legal system?It doesnt have to do much.For starters it can just stick to the truth when it comes to depicting laws and legal procedure.Instead of creating its own laws.
It might seem a trivial issue.But it just makes me sick, when I see these misrepresentations.Forget the leaders, "ordinary" people gave up their lives and lifestyles for our freedom.And doesnt the concept of freedom include, our own laws?
We need a revamp, throw out the outdated laws, speed up the procedure, and leave alone more courts, let there be no judicial vacancies.But for a revamp to happen, misrepresentations must stop and awareness of the reality must begin.Tragically instead of expecting the lawmakers to take the initiative, I wait for a, Munnabhai LLB.
hmmm... i kinda agree with you that we are getting over awed by the fact that finally a celebrity we love is shown the rough side of the law.... (if it was say, Paris hilton, we wouldnt have supported so much)
ReplyDeletebut what i dont agree with is the basic law that "ignorance of the law is not an excuse in itself)
Now of course, that could end up in the too big a loop hole that you could always plead ignorance.. and would ultimately lead to bigger lawlessness.
But i still feel that the law the way it is should provide for the ignaorance of common man.... like, how on earth am i to know that possessing arms is a 5 yr imprisonment... all i know is that Im supposed to hold a license, just like I know that I have to have a PAN card if i have a certain Income... note that a poor farmer who gets a lumpsum because his property was acquired by the Govt cant understand taxation either... (what was mine, the Govt wants to take it, it gives a price it decides, and wants me to pay 20% on that too... hehe... great idea )
and ya... i forgot to mention... this non excusat law is a 2000+ yr old law from pax romana...
ReplyDeleteto a logical thinker the purpose was obvious, to clear the jury of the need to verify wether the person is feigning or really didn know... but thats why we have the judiciary right... if the judiciary is going to uphold its own laws etched in stone (the loopholes in which are known only to the lawyers who thrive on them) then we might as well have a computer deciding cases, where you just have to input the facts of the case (man, now thats an idea!)
we need a humane judiciary which will consider the circumstances and conclude wether what he did would have been something an ordinary citizen (who fortunately didnt get caught) would ordinarily do....
ab i agree that its not fair to have the "ignorance of law is not an excuse" when people have no way of finding out the basic laws..
ReplyDeleteso perhaps it could be part of the curriculum..
on this case, the film stars are not arguing over his guilt..just that he has suffered and a good guy now and so shouldnt be punished..huh, that can be said of other criminals too, would we let them go??
they would have probably suffered more..
perhaps we should have a new one "Being a Celebrity is not an excuse"..
hehe.... that was a good one.... :)
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