Workshop # 17

‘Lady Justice is often depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is (or should be) meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and blind impartiality. The earliest Roman coins depicted Justitia with the sword in one hand and the scale in the other, but with her eyes uncovered. Justitia was only commonly represented as "blind" since about the end of the fifteenth century. The first known representation of blind Justice is Hans Gieng's 1543 statue on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Fountain of Justice) in Berne.’ 

Thus says the Wikipedia on the Lady Statue of Justice. But, watching the events happening in the world and more so in India one cannot but wonder that the blindness of Justitia is really ‘blind’ without ‘objectivity’ and ‘impartiality’ the double edged sword is used only to punish the innocent with impunity. 

Though it is unfair on my part to comment about other countries and laws, in India the courts and justice have turned just into nothing but travesty. First of all, any court proceedings turns out to be a long drawn process even if the FIR is filed immediately. The trails in the courts irrespective of their nature are nothing but a exasperating processes and most of the time the justice has never been done. Or even assuming it is done it is undoubtedly delayed. The Justice delayed is Justice denied goes the adage. But, today most of the powerful, rich and the mighty walk away either unpunished or with a punishment that can hardly be called as retribution. In some cases, the blatant extremists are safeguarded spending a lot of government funds simply because India is secular and thanks to the adult franchise and vote politics. 

There is a lot of hue and cry about death sentence and many intellectuals wanted that death penalty to be completely removed from the penal code. But, they are blind folded about the atrocities which are perpetrated on the innocent who deserve nothing than a death penalty for their ghoulish act or gruesome murders. We have a lobby for that because India is a secular and democratic country. 

Dowry deaths, female foeticide, more recently paedophilla and violence on children are reported almost everyday. The culprits may languish in jail for long either waiting for judgment or come out on bail if they are powerful because India is a land of freedom. 

We allow terrorism and religious fanatics to grow and do heinous crimes because India is a poor country and still developing and Indian democracy is one of the best democracies in the world. 

In the present day living even judges who are supposed to be unbiased and impartial have become highly corrupt and ready to tilt the scales of justice based on the magnitude of threat or bribe they receive. We cannot question them because India gives extraordinary autonomy to the power centers and persons belonging to the higher echelons of the society. 

Discipline has become the rarest commodity among the society. Greed for money, power, position and life has reached new heights. In this supposedly philosophical and highly cultural nation, philosophy is for preaching to cheat the gullible and appease the silent sufferers. Saints and godmen look for international recognition and thrive on sex scandal and publicity without simplicity. We look at the developed nations for their fashion but not at public discipline and social commitment. 

When good people suffers in the world, we say it is because of their ‘sins’ in the previous birth; or give them solace by discoursing that only good people can ‘bear’ the suffering and do good for others. If the bad or the wicked is made to suffer they will ruin the whole world. That is the reason why the good suffers and the bad enjoys. So the Justice also seems to follow this dictum. 

It is ironically appropriate that the Statue of Justice with her blind fold and double edged sword represent the justice prevailing in India in the true sense. Yes, she is most of the time blind to the truth and use the sword to shed the blood of the innocent.
 
In this country, no in this world, Justice is only a Myth.