Judiciary In India

                                         In our democracy, the three arms of the state namely the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature on which rests the smooth functioning of the country are in dire need of reforms. It is not without reason that people are disappointed with present state of judiciary, numerous cases(corruption cases etc.) have recently highlighted the flaws and shortcomings of our judicial system. Legal experts, social activists, civil society have been unequivocally asking to initiate reforms but the apathy of the present establishment is disheartening. Time and again,we keep hearing about necessity of reforms and efforts by govt but situation doesn’t alter on ground.

                                     In present circumstances, the legal apparatus and infrastructure have faltered and failed to keep pace with the rising population, changing times, transformed societal structure. The judicial apparatus appears obsolete, stuck in time zone and completely oblivious of ground realities. Riddled with old fashioned procedures, it has almost become defunct. A section of politicians, corrupt business houses, media, judges etc. are in league to maintain status quo, taking comfort in dysfunctional judiciary as it serves their interests.

                                        There are many instances in public domain about the corruption in judiciary, many incidents of the judiciary misusing its official position for personal gain but the matter is not pursued efficiently to nail and punish the culprits. Indian Constitution made Indian judiciary sort of a self-regulatory independent body but in house accountability system seems ineffective .  The judiciary is self protective except in rear case of Former Calcutta High Court judge C S Karnan or impeachment proceeding of Calcutta high court judge Soumitra Sen which are publicized and known . The judiciary has used its immense power provided in Constitution only to stonewall both criticisms and accountability.

                                  One of the potent weapon in the hands of judiciary, is the ‘Contempt of Court’. It is an effective tool to stifle public criticism or independent evaluation of the judiciary. While deterring people from making unwarranted attacks on judiciary, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, has also stifled debate. That’s why judiciary’s conduct is hardly discussed or debated in the media.And now attempts are made to exempt the judiciary from the purview of the Right to Information Act. These steps only make the judicial system opaque causing doubts on the integrity of the system in people’s mind.

                                    The recent turmoil in judiciary when the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court in an unprecedented manner, broke ranks and publicly questioned the leadership of Chief Justice of India . The grievances of esteemed judges over allocation of cases or other issues further showcased the necessity to implement judicial reforms thus improving the  transparency and accountability . There is no doubt that the judiciary is in dire need of speedy and effective reforms, ranging from appointing of judges, to instituting a transparent and non-partisan structure.

                                   In the eyes of common man, Judiciary has yet not lost its prestige. People still believe that when the walls of establishment becomes deaf , oppressive and arrogant the judiciary is the savior of downtrodden, the conduct and decision making by courts isn’t questioned. The courts are considered final authority and verdicts are respected and believed fair even when decisions are not according to one’s preference. For a vibrant democracy, it is essential and prudent to have a well oiled judicial system for speedy justice and swift disposal of cases so that faith over judiciary remains unchallenged.

The Fault In Our Stars

                                        Maybe one of the finest movies i have stumbled upon after long time ,i would like to advise all of my friends to go and watch this beautiful ,simple ,enigmatic ,brilliant movie "The fault in our stars". It's about love ,life ,and mostly about living life. I think its dark ,thoughtful rather ingenious way to put life in ones perspective. The protagonist beautifully portrays life (struggle) at the periphery of death.

                                          Two teenagers Hazel and Augustus struggling with life threatening diseases embarked on a romantic journey after they meet and fall in love at a cancer support group. Incredible movie with beautifully executed storyline , worth watching.

My Brief History by Stephen Hawking

                                           The book 'My Brief History' is - a very short autobiography of Stephen Hawking . In my opinion, he is probably the most renowned scientist in the world today, partly because of his disability and partly because of his commendable work in theoretical physics like black holes, time travel and quantum theory. The book is about his life's journey from his childhood (in postwar London) to his ground-breaking work in cosmology and quantum physics.The book is a small memoir, however it gives us valuable insight into the life of Stephen Hawking. My Brief History is a great read for those, who are fans of Stephen Hawking and those who would like to know more about  him.

                                          The book starts from the youth days of Hawking, when he had passion for working train models, boats, planes etc. as he himself describes that he had "an urge to know how systems works and how to control them." From his school days when his father wanted him to pursue Biology as he believes there were more jobs in it while Hawking found biology uninteresting, a subject that was a bit too descriptive to him. He chose to study Mathematics and went on to become a renowned figure in the world of physics. The following chapters described his struggle when he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. His deteriorating health lead him into depression from where he needed motivation to fight all odds which came in the form of his first wife Jane Wilde. Life took a turn for the better and he started devoting himself to his work and thus attained marvelous achievements in his work. 

                                        This book is a subtle reminder of how impediments made Stephen Hawking only more resolved, more determined to rise in his life as a role model for millions worldwide. As he himself describes in the end  "I have had a full and satisfying life. I believe that disabled people should concentrate on things that their handicap doesn't prevent them from doing and not regret those they can't do." A wonderful , inspiring book, a must read for all.

Intricacies Of Life

                                            Its been almost a month and events that unfolded in last thirty days ,have shaken my belief on myself, my thought process which i have boasted in silence, was lying in tatters. It can be easily summarized as month of reckoning, the life seemed to have taken a complete circle and made me stand naked to face the intricacies of life. It seemed someone smirked and challenged me to continue to follow the philosophy of life that developed over a period of time after my unfortunate accident 17 years back.

                                         The month started(early October) on promising note, ushering in hope, a dear one who was languishing for last two years in pitch darkness was finally on the verge of discovering one of the most beautiful gift to mankind, to see the rainbow of life once again, in its full blossom. The festival of lights graced family with restoring eyesight to my father . It was even more joyful as it was the first Deepawali of my angel, my little sunshine. The karma finally paying heed i thought, the cycle seemed to have turned for the better. The philosophy of karma, is a borrowed concept for me, gradually cleaning the cobwebs of mind and firmly shaping my outlook for life.

                                          Karma, i am told has everything to do with how we lead our life. Karma (past deeds as well as present) determines your present and future, so basically one decides his own destiny. With time, i developed strong affinity with this principle, and adjusted accordingly. Even death of an elderly during this time didn't alter my belief, neither did i question the timing. But the horrific accident and pain endured by my loved ones, the hour which i have to sit alone, waiting for news about on accident, jolted my belief on theory of Karma for good.

                                     These theories, in my opinion are nothing but attempts by humans to find reason where nothing exists. These theories are nothing but attempts by humans to find rationale where nothing actually exists. These theories like religion are fake. What is there to say? There is only so much anyone of us have, any control over good or bad , we are puppets who play according to circumstances. We all have to learn to move on, giving too much credit for things, we were mere spectators off is silly. You just embrace the reality and move on. I mean what fucking alternate does one really has? Guess there's nothing like destiny, just circumstances unraveling before us , nothing to do with past or anything like that and how you react becomes your fate.