The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, July 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I L B A G

Media publicity & individuals’ familiarity with judiciary not in the interest of justice

IN the hope of expediting the settlement of disputes, an institution of Lok Adalat has been created under the Legal Services Authority Act and in the air are “fast track courts” for speedy disposal of cases.

The Lok Adalats are doing more harm than good to the administration of justice. In the interest of administration of justice in a fair manner, the judicial officers have instructions to avoid much contact with the public and avoid publicity through the media. In 1953 the Punjab High Court issued a circular to all district and sessions judges subordinate to it which contained a set of rules for the guidance of judicial officers and were termed as canons of judicial ethics. These rules go unnoticed these days.

For running a Lok Adalat, public shows are organised and officers from other departments are also invited. Much socialising is done. Help is sought from the public and even from the police to get cases amicably settled. Important persons of the area become part of the Lok Adalat, though they might themselves be party in civil and criminal cases. Individuals’ familiarity with the judiciary is not good in the administration of justice.

Lok Adalats have of course succeeded in settling matrimonial cases to some extent either this way or the other. In many cases the payment of compensation to victims of motor accidents is expedited. In rest of the cases, the working is not such as appears on the fact of it. The cases already settled amongst the parties without the intervention of any authority are placed before the Lok Adalat.

Similar is the position in regard to cases pending before regular courts which the parties want to withdraw due to one reason or the other. The cases are put as show-pieces before the Lok Adalat. The money spent and time utilised in this exercise could be utilised for the proper disposal of more cases.

Fast track courts are to be for deciding old cases. Retired judicial officers are to be presiding officers of these courts. It is an admitted fact that a person who has once retired on superannuation cannot be as active as a person who has not attained that age. Calling a retired person to active duty is like putting to use the instruments that have gathered rust. These persons will not be bound by service rules and rules of discipline. They can afford to act in an irresponsible manner. Old is not always necessarily gold. A retired acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court is already in hot water.

The judicial officers should work with a missionary zeal in an intelligent manner and the lawyer community should try to be its old self. The strength of judges should be increased by a fresh appointment of persons of proven integrity with a zeal to work hard. Disposal of cases will definitely be expedited.

TEJ BAHADUR PURI, Kapurthala

Manipulating jobs

THE recent development in the Ravi Sidhu case brings to mind an incident. Out of the blue I got a telephone call from a sessions judge whom I did not know. He wanted to see me. On arrival he introduced himself and mentioned some far-off connection. He said he liked my articles and that he himself was fond of writing. After some polite conversation, he came to the point. He wanted me to speak to the UPSC Chairman about his daughter who was to appear for an interview for central services. I told him that I did not know the Chairman. I asked him why was he indulging in this practice of ‘safarash’ and should let the child take her chances and stand on her own feet. He told me that one cannot hope to be even a “chaprasi” in this land without a “safarash”.

Some months later I had a chance meeting with the UPSC Chairman. He told me that some sessions judge had met him and said that he had been sent by me regarding her daughter’s interview. The Chairman told the judge that he did not know me. When Ravi Sidhu’s case first surfaced, most were skeptical about the outcome. They said that like so many others, he would go free, brave stand of The Tribune not withstanding. The system is rotten.

HARWANT SINGH, USA

Honouring Amrita Pritam

Capt Amarinder Singh recently honoured Punjabi poet, Amrita Pritam, by conferring “Lifetime achievement award” upon her. He gave her a cheque for Rs 15 lakh, a plaque and a “phulkari”. On this occasion, he quoted some lines from her poem “Aj aakhaan Waris Shah noon”.

Amrita is said to be proud of this poem. Many people say that she has perpetuated Waris Shah’s name by it. It is not Amrita’s poem, but Waris Shah’s own magnum opus — Versified Qissah Heer-Raanjha — that has bestowed enduring fame on him. Years before she wrote this poem, about one lakh copies of his masterpiece were sold every year and the people read and heard it with keen relish. A 19th century poet of Lucknow, Sayyad Insha, said: “Sunaaya raat ko Qissa jo Heer Raanjhey ka / To aihl-e-dard ko Punjabiyon ney loot liya.”

It appears that Amrita was not quite familiar with prosodial rules and lacked the skill of selecting appropriate and well-turned words and phrases when she wrote this poem. There are language and grammatical mistakes galore in it. Here are some instances.

The exordial verse is: “Aj aakhaan Waris Shah noon kiton qabraan vichon bol/Tey aj kitaab-e-ishq da koi agla varqa phol”. Waris Shah’s “mazaar” (tomb) is situated in Jandiala Sher Khan (Pakistan). Had his dead body been removed to some unknown grave that Amrita asked him to speak from somewhere from a cluster of graves instead of from his own tomb? “Aj” in the second line is redundant. The correct expression is “Varqa ulatna, palatna” or “thulna” (to turn a new leaf) and not “varqa pholna”. Apparently, the poet used the word “phol” because it rhymed with “bol” of the first line.

Another line is: “Ik roi see dhee Punjab dee toon likh likh maarey vain”. The idiom is “likh maarna” (to write bastily) and not “likh likh maarna”. “Vain” means wailing over a dead body. It is not written. A dirge is written.

A hemistich is: “Gith gith charhiyaan laaliyaan foot foot charhya qaihr”. “Laali charhna” means a healthy red colour on the face caused by joy. Amrita has taken it as meaning to fly into a passion. She says: “Saney daaliyaan peeng aj piplaan ditti tor’. It is not understood how peepul trees broke the swing and the boughs. This can be done by some person. One swing is hitched to one branch of one tree and not a number of trees. “Jithey vajdi see phook piyaar dee vey o vanjali gai gavaach” is a poorly constructed line. It could be “Jis vich vajdi phook see piyaar dee ...” or “Jo kadh dee sur see piyaar dee ...”. “Vanjali” is a high-pitched musical instrument. Amrita says “lahoo dee bhari Chanaab” and “ditti zaihr rala” instead of “lahoo da bharya Chanaab” and “ditta zaihr rala” respectively. Poetic licence does not entitle her to commit such mistakes. Some lines are very insipid.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

‘Havan’ by a Sikh

The report “Row over photo showing Badal ‘performing havan’” (July 3) perfectly showcases how today’s politico-religious leadership has reached its nadir. What is “anti-panthic” about a Sikh taking part in a “havan” ceremony? How is it a “gross violation” of Sikh traditions?

In our armed forces whenever there is a religious function or festival the entire unit takes part. Then this, according to the politico-religious thought police, should mean that every Sikh who is a member of the armed forces is indulging in anti-panthic acts in violation of Sikh traditions.

NAVDEEP SINGH, Panchkula