If you are in India, then its unlikely that you would not have heard about Jessica case and how the accused were let off the hook, and then how after that the public took up on itself to highlight the case.
People are getting preplexed about it. How come that suddenly people are finding voice ? I mean, Indians have lived for so long with such a corrupt govt, going about their lives without looking around, that this kind of reaction comes as a surprise to the media.
BBC has an article on this case. Quote from the article :
During the seven years that India's snail-paced judicial system took to deliver an order in the case, almost all the witnesses turned hostile, resulting in the acquittal of all the nine accused, including Manu Sharma, a fortnight ago.
Not unusual, considering the rate of conviction in present day India is less than 30%. But what is unusual is the public outrage that has followed the acquittals. In an unprecedented show of solidarity for the family of Jessica Lal, candlelight vigils are held at the spot of the crime.
I call it the RDB (Rang De Basanti) effect. I doubt if the film had not been released a few weeks ago, that the conscience of the people would have woken up. Even if it had, there would have been some violence - the usual danga fasad. But what we have are candle light processions around India Gate. Reading about it in the news was a feeling of De Javu. It looked like straight out of the movie.
Its rarely that a commercial movie has an impact on the masses. RDB seems to have touched the chord.
So why are call for justice protests only when the victime if popular , pretty and page 3 material ?
ReplyDeleteBecause we're as a species badly flawed and then additionally brainwashed to ignore some tyrannies and spotlight some others .