Musings on India, the law, and policy
Posted in Democracy on Jun 9th, 2011
The recent acts of dissent from members of the civil society (Ramdev included?) have also witnessed the Government countering them by the imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Headed as ‘Temporary Orders in cases of Urgent nuisance or apprehended Danger’, the provision sits right in the centre of a continuum [...]
Posted in Constitution, Democracy on Jun 5th, 2011
At midnight yesterday, we took one step further from democracy, towards authoritarianism. “I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, wrote Evelyn Hall in Friends of Voltaire (1906). The quote was later appropriated by Voltaire’s legacy and misattributed to the French philosopher himself. The [...]
Posted in corruption, Democracy, india, Lok Pal on May 31st, 2011
Members of Parliament are protected from anything said or done in parliament or anything said or done in connection with proceedings in parliament. This, as such is a common law right and enshrined in the Constitution under Article 105. So much so, this is possibly one of the areas where even the Supreme Court is [...]
Advice for good government. To the Congress as it enters its third year. – Please stop waging political battles about the farmers in UP. The crux of the issue is the property rights of the farmers that are being taken away. Moving from that to ‘rumours’ about atrocities doesn’t alleviate their situation. With the NCW [...]
Posted in Democracy on May 6th, 2011
Dear POTUS, So you got your man, finally. I am overjoyed for you, and your prospects of re-election in 2012. Now that you have tasted “justice”, I am sure you would want to savour more. Then come good on your reneged promise to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. Quick, before your goodwill evaporates [...]
Posted in Constitution, Court, Democracy on Apr 15th, 2011
With the wisdom of hindsight and given the current political climate, would it be too wrong to say that Dr. Sen’s release on bail was all but a certainty? I am inclined to believe so, but what is noteworthy is the Supreme Court’s recent whipping up of a jurisprudence that completely trashes the notion of [...]