I am not certain about how I should react to the presence of EU Observers in the Chhattisgrah high court, but I think I am pissed off. I am normally quite quick to get pissed off about various things - things that concern me and those that have no relation to me but not this time.
The reason is pure and simple.
I have no clue about the role that these observers from EU are going to don. Are they there in the Chhattisgrah HC to ensure that there is a free trial? Are they there to ensure that charges against Dr Sen are dropped? Are they there to ensure that the trial is run according to what they perceive is the right way to do it? I am mighty confused. So I shall wait till the time I am sure of their role to get all vitriolic.
But as of now my thoughts, broadly, are: Should justice be served to Dr Binayak Sen? Without a shadow of doubt. Should EU observers be present in the HC to ensure that it happens? Like hell, NO. We are not some tinpot little country that needs that needs the ‘White Man’ to ensure that we behave in a civilized manner. I am not too sure if they visited Guantanamo Bay and/or Abu Ghraib so I see no reason for them to visit us and check if we dispense justice appropriately. (Sure, the one reason that they did not visit these places could be because no one invited them to visit, like our dear Teesta beheji did, but still I think the logic stands.)
While there is no doubt that there are individual cases of omission and commission, deficiencies in the upper judiciary are not so pronounced. I think we can do without these worthies here.
Of course the other thing that strikes me is that the Indian government should pick a case and tell the EU that it is not satisfied with the way their courts are handling it and say that it wants to monitor the same. And then let’s check their reaction. Would they allow us to do so or would they draw themselves up and stare down at us condescendingly? Now, that would be an interesting experiment to carry out.
The reason is pure and simple.
I have no clue about the role that these observers from EU are going to don. Are they there in the Chhattisgrah HC to ensure that there is a free trial? Are they there to ensure that charges against Dr Sen are dropped? Are they there to ensure that the trial is run according to what they perceive is the right way to do it? I am mighty confused. So I shall wait till the time I am sure of their role to get all vitriolic.
But as of now my thoughts, broadly, are: Should justice be served to Dr Binayak Sen? Without a shadow of doubt. Should EU observers be present in the HC to ensure that it happens? Like hell, NO. We are not some tinpot little country that needs that needs the ‘White Man’ to ensure that we behave in a civilized manner. I am not too sure if they visited Guantanamo Bay and/or Abu Ghraib so I see no reason for them to visit us and check if we dispense justice appropriately. (Sure, the one reason that they did not visit these places could be because no one invited them to visit, like our dear Teesta beheji did, but still I think the logic stands.)
While there is no doubt that there are individual cases of omission and commission, deficiencies in the upper judiciary are not so pronounced. I think we can do without these worthies here.
Of course the other thing that strikes me is that the Indian government should pick a case and tell the EU that it is not satisfied with the way their courts are handling it and say that it wants to monitor the same. And then let’s check their reaction. Would they allow us to do so or would they draw themselves up and stare down at us condescendingly? Now, that would be an interesting experiment to carry out.
