Apar GuptaThree recent judicial decisions have led to attacks on the Supreme Court’s legitimacy. On February 15, the Court declared electoral bonds unconstitutional, stating that the “right to know supersedes anonymity.” On May 10, the Court granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying, “We… reject the argument that the reasoning… results in grant of privilege or special status to politicians.”
Archives for the category Off-Topic
Why Big Tech and the Modi Government Are Far From Adversarial
Over the past decade most tech CEOs have done pit stops in India with elaborate public communications in meetings with the Prime Minister.
‘I Recuse’: More Panellists Must Be Deliberate in Their Choice of TV Platforms and Make It Public
More voices taking this step and repeatedly stating it in public is a meaningful contribution towards the restoration of constitutional sanity. In a media landscape under constant attack by primetime anchors, such actions even when minor gain importance. Broken news will only be fixed by collective action.
A capital in search of maternal care
The Caravan Rolls On
The outlines of a progressive movement for greater government accountability emerge from the narration of Aruna Roy and the MKSS Collectives in The RTI Story: Power to the People.
The objections to Padmavati require social debate, not legal censure
For years, Indian liberals have fought for the right to freedom of artistic expression — the paintings of M. F. Husain, Jatin Das, movies like Fire and PK and readings of the Three Hundred Ramayanas. As calls rise for a ban on the release of Padmavati — a film that valourises Rajput caste identity and glorifies sati, we ask:
A legal overdose of patriotism
An aged law after an ageing judge
The first few years at the bar bring great thrill but there are points when things sink to utter boredom. Many warm Delhi afternoons in the halls of the Supreme Court dulled as the morning coffee wore off. Between the canteen and the library, young lawyers broke their slumber by entering the court of the then Hon’ble Supreme Court Judge Markandey Katju. To term it crudely, his court was “entertaining”.
Teachings from a trial
Time gifts us clarity though reflection. Half a century may seem sufficient to dull passions but even today public memory of the Nanavati case continues to tilt objectivity towards emotion. A part of this can be fastened onto movie depictions that bear little responsibility for factual accuracy. However, in public discussion, there is not much distinction between the Nanavati case and the Nanavati movie (Rustom). Such a merger is unfortunate given the legacy of the case and the focus it brings to deficiencies in the legal system.