In a world where films such as Law Abiding Citizen and Franz Kafka co-exist, we strongly believe that this duality is possible. Optimism that law can change a corrupt society is fading out and not many people care to follow it anymore. The policy is simple for the common man: "My pockets are loaded with cash. I can make my own law". Many people find law confusing, impenetrable, filled with money-sucking lawyers and intimidating paper work. Well, how many of us actually take the initiative to put that guy behind bars who cheated us with a consumer product? We lack in our initiative, so we let them grow!
Law stands criticized always but do we have the courage to face an absolute state of lawlessness and emergency? Absence of uniform law would mean anarchy. Are we prepared for that? Well, if this is making you uncomfortable then it is time to know our law and use it to safeguard ourselves. The problem is that we doubt instead of believing what it can do for us. This doubt is the most common barrier that each one of us has and interestingly enough it creeps into us without us even entering courtrooms and police stations.
Here is why we face this phobia:
- FEAR OF PROSECUTION: We all fear the evil in society and the iron bars of jails. Understandably, being put behind bars is not a very pleasant thing, but don’t you think policing is required? We can go on to criticize the need for it, but all things require censorship and moral policing to maintain the systems of freedom and eliminate oppression. However, the question as to what all should be censored will need another space.
- FACING GUILT PUBLICLY: It is a common misconception that crime and criminals should be publicly flogged so that the wretchedness of the crime is highlighted. This is not the aim. What is criminal is circulated in society so that we embrace amnesty and the guilty criminal and accept them back. This is the ideal way of eliminating crime in society. However, this does not happen and this is where our initiative begins!
WHY FEAR IT? Not many of us know the importance of section 498A or 494. There is a visible lack of knowledge in the society and this should begin from school level. Even if it is not a part of prescribed syllabi, children should be taught about the benefits of law at home and in social places.
RESPECT IT: By a law abiding citizen, we do not mean to follow law blindly. It is when a citizen goes beyond fulfilling the requirements of law, is what is required for the society. It should be like: I respect law that is why I cleared my driving challans. What we do is: I skipped the red light. Now again the police officers will bug me with the challans. Our acts should generate respect for the law. This would be the ideal ripple-effect for a nation to function peacefully. Let us collectively respect law because it took more than 100s of years to form a nation and law is the sole binder of a nation-state.
Something should change around us- and it is the faith we do not have over our law. After all, it is not law that kills people. It is people, who kill people. It will not be a bad idea to recollect that only we can respect the laws of our nation. Only an outsider will FOLLOW it.
