Apar GuptaFor 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:
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A legal overdose of patriotism
Can justice be done?
Despite the design, reality can be different. Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost their teenage children, Unnati and Ujjwal, in the Uphaar theatre tragedy narrate such an incident in Trial by Fire.
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.
Law as farce
Lawyers ML Sharma, AP Singh rapped over India’s Daughter: Bar Council should not expel them
“Our culture is the best. In our culture there is no place for a woman.” – The above is just one line from the many remarks made by ML Sharma on camera in India’s Daughter, the controversial documentary on the 2012 Delhi gang rape case.
Why the law can’t prohibit women from participating in beauty pageants
We have come a long way from the days when we used to be a proud nation of beauty queens. Close to two decades ago, a sense of insecurity made us claim that Indian women were physically the most beautiful in the world. A basis to this hyperbole existed. Indian women had received high honours at several international beauty pageants.
India can do better than this luddite response to Uber
The Delhi transport department’s decision to ban Uber is luddite. It is reminiscent of how the first regulations concerning motor cars sought to ban them, reasoning it would scare the horses which were used to draw carriages.