This lawyer had lamented that he had been disappointed by several Supreme Court justices, including a prominent one from Maharashtra, usually a progressive state which always shook off the shackles of bondage. “But there were enough among the lower rungs of the judiciary who held the Constutution supreme and remained our hope throughout those months,” he said.
I have my own bone to pick with Bhushan – some years ago he teamed up with the fascist forces and for all his erudition and courage failed to see how they were leading India into the dark ages. It has taken years to recognise that these dark forces do not need an ‘official’ and ‘Constitutional’ Emergency to bend journalists or judges to their will but now, like the advocate from the Emergency days, I am beginning to think that lawyers like Bhushan – and there are many more of them battling the authorities – might become the bane of their existence and not allow all their evil designs to succed.
Bhushan's refusal to apologise and rethink his statement or move for a reconciliation or otherwise give in, quoting Mahatma Gandhi on taking his punishment cheerfully, I believe, could yet prove the first major strike towards the restoration of democratic processes and bringing its revered institutions back on an even keel.
Gandhiji's defiance of the British every step of the way confounded the authorities of that time. I am sure today's authorities have found Bhushan equally confounding. In fact, like Bhushan, we all need to return to the Mahatma Gandhi’s brand of defiance and passive resistance – and in view of this government's previous attempts to deny us basic rights, as in the Citizenship Laws, disobedience rather than contesting them in the courts.
For today that estate of democracy is as much on the side of the government as the institution was with the British during the freedom movement. We know how Gandhiji broke the salt law by cocking a snook at a British judge in Ahmedabad court, who famously forbade him from undertaking the salt march.
But we must also remember that the first strike for Independence began from Champaran in Bihar where Gandhi defied magisterial orders to visit the district and, when hauled up before the court, admitted he had broken the ban order and was admitting to it not to seek mercy or clemency but to accept whatever punishment the court deemed fit. It left the British grinding their teeth and I wonder how many people then realised that British rule in India had just been delivered a body blow and would soon come to an end.
Prashant Bhushan is no Mahatma Gandhi and only recently has collaborated with fascist forces as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru would never have done. But given the times he and others like him may well be given the benefit of the doubt for being taken in by certain elements and trusting them to give us a Ram Rajya.
Now faced with the asuras of democracy, people are slowly waking up to what they lost when they voted the UPA out of power in 2014. The Congress restored democracy after the Emergency that lasted 18 months and lost the election thereafter, allowed the judiciary its independence even when the judgments were unfair and not to their liking, did not threaten or murder independent judges, did not politicise the army, did not go against the Constitution as in the abrogation of Article 370 and did not treat any one as a second class citizen.
I do not believe anyone could have fathomed the extent of lies, crony capitalism, violence and mauling of democratic institutions this regime would go to retain power. Before and after the Emergency we may have faulted the government on various issues but never for turning India into a travesty of its full bodied and full-blooded republican ideals and moorings. The first bugle has been sounded for the restoration of democracy. We must all help fight the third war for Independence.
Army wants anti-drone systems integrated…
14-04-2025
The Indian Army, alarmed by the heavy tank losses suffered by Russia in Ukraine due to drone warfare, is seeking advanced counter-drone systems for its T-90S and T-72 tanks. A...
Read moreAccused in Rs 13,850 crore PNB fraud, Me…
14-04-2025
Mehul Choksi, the fugitive businessman, owes approximately Rs 63 lakh in unpaid maintenance fees for his Malabar Hill flat in Mumbai, spanning over seven years. A society member reported that...
Read moreFresh encounter breaks out in J&K's …
14-04-2025
A new encounter started between security forces and terrorists in Poonch's Lasana village. The event occurred on Monday night. Security forces initiated a search operation after receiving information about terrorist...
Read more
Lingayat, Vokkaliga netas huddle ahead o…
14-04-2025
Karnataka's government faces internal pressure following the leak of a caste census report. Vokkaliga and Lingayat leaders are contesting the population estimates, claiming higher numbers. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar convened...
Read moreKarnataka bid to breach 50% quota cap aw…
14-04-2025
Karnataka's potential increase in caste-based reservations faces legal challenges, mirroring the fate of similar laws in other states. While the Supreme Court deemed the 50% quota cap not entirely inflexible...
Read moreNet suspension extended to parts of Mald…
14-04-2025
Violence erupted in Bengal over the new waqf law, with Bhangar witnessing intense clashes where mobs attacked police, leaving 16 officers injured. The unrest, triggered by police preventing an ISF...
Read more
Fear still stalks residents who fled Mur…
14-04-2025
Following violent clashes sparked by the new waqf law, Hriday Das fled Murshidabad with his family after losing relatives and his home. Scores of others sought refuge in neighboring Jharkhand...
Read moreTMC, BJP trade blame over Bengal unrest …
14-04-2025
Political tensions escalate in Bengal's Murshidabad as Trinamool Congress and BJP clash over ongoing violence. TMC accuses protesters of serving BJP's agenda by disrupting life, while BJP demands President's rule...
Read moreFire at government hospital, over 200 pa…
14-04-2025
A fire erupted at Lucknow's Lokbandhu Hospital on Monday night, sparking widespread panic and the urgent evacuation of over 200 patients, including those in critical condition. The blaze, suspected to...
Read more
Across political divide, netas unite to …
14-04-2025
India's political spectrum united to honor B.R. Ambedkar on his 135th birth anniversary, solidifying his position as a universally respected figure. Leaders like PM Modi and Sonia Gandhi paid floral...
Read moreBJP, RSS are enemies of Ambedkar: Congre…
14-04-2025
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has branded the BJP-RSS as "enemies" of Ambedkar, alleging they only offer lip service for political gain. Kharge claimed Ambedkar blamed V.D. Savarkar for his 1952...
Read moreIndia united, strong due to statute: Jus…
14-04-2025
Justice B.R. Gavai emphasized the Constitution's pivotal role in maintaining India's unity and stability over the past 75 years, despite challenges. He lauded B.R. Ambedkar's contribution to uplifting marginalized communities...
Read moreCongress humiliated, distorted vision of…
14-04-2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a gathering in Hisar on Ambedkar's birth anniversary, strongly criticized the Congress party for allegedly disrespecting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar during his lifetime and attempting to...
Read more
Not disclosing criminal case 'moral turp…
14-04-2025
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that concealing a criminal case during job application constitutes "moral turpitude," even if the applicant is later acquitted. This decision upheld the cancellation...
Read more
