Stop calling it 26/11

Start calling it 26/11/08.

Yes, it's been that long. The tragedy to hit Mumbai in the November of '08 happened in '08. And we are in '11. That's right. It's more than 2 years and the case is still open. The wheels of justice are still creaking towards a judgement.

Just imagine. A criminal accused of the most heinous crimes, against whom there is enough evidence, who has been captured on surveillance cameras with an assault rifle in his hand, who shot The-Force-only-knows how many people, who was part of a group of terrorists who launched an unprovoked attack on innocent people, who was part of a group responsible for the killing of more than 160 people and many more injured. This criminal is still alive and justice has not yet been served.

Just imagine. When there is a mountain of evidence against someone and it still takes more than 2 years for justice to be served, what hope does the common man have? What about the millions of property disputes, the millions of oppression cases, the millions of rape and murder cases, the millions of tax fraud cases, the millions of simple cases that the ordinary citizen files in the hope that the law will protect him? What about the people?

Like in the movie "Damini", the character played by Sunny Deol was spot on. People who come for justice from the legal system only end up getting dates of postponement. A simple case drags on for years, even decades. People end up giving their legal cases to their children as an inheritance. How criminally negligent is that?

Is there nothing that can be done to correct this system? Is there nothing that can be done to correct one of the most fundamental tenets of democracy in the largest democracy in the world? Is there no one who will make a stand?

What hope is there for the rest of us if Ajmal still hides behind the law after killing so many people?

Are we only to watch movies like "Who killed Jessica" where all we can see is that the justice system can be perverted to favour one person? That the only time action will be taken is when the people get upset and stage protest?

The Indian Penal Code, I think, is suffering from Penile Dysfunction and needs a pill like Viagra to get it away from the impotent farce it has become.

Stop calling it 26/11. It loses context. The Americans called their tragedy 9/11 because quicker than anything, they had invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban. We need to start calling our tragedy with the full date. Only then will we realize that it is taking far too long for justice to be served.

Stop calling it 26/11. Start calling it for what it is. 26/11/08.

It's been more than 2 years...