These louts subvert the justice system

Social commentator Suhel Seth is livid with the breed of 'serial litigators’ - the ones who should stay at home brooding over their miserable lives, rather than stand in court asking for 'justice.'
There are many things in India that we are truly ashamed of. We are ashamed of the ample poverty; of the fact that many pretty young women are now using Botox right after their mothers stop feeding them; then there are people who run our sports federations when they shouldn’t even be taking their own dog for a walk; there are also those who attend every fashion show but not until they’ve finished fighting for their place on the front row and then there are our politicians, who happily milk everything that comes their way and ensure that the country goes to hell.
But then there some things we need to be proud of.We need to be proud of our media, except when they get stung; we need to be proud of our television anchors for the genteelness in their voice; we need to salute our armed forces when they are not marching up Raisina Hill and we certainly need to be truly proud of our judiciary. But then even the unsuspecting judiciary is at times subject to those louts who use every opportunity to abuse their freedom by rushing to courts of law, when actually they should just be sitting at home and brooding over their miserable lives.
And here I am talking about serial litigators. Yes, there is this breed that has taken advantage of the famed PIL (public interest litigation), which in their case may well be publicity interest litigation. These are the rascals who subvert the justice system by ensuring that they drag any celebrity to court just to ensure they get their 15 minutes of fame and that too on prime time. But why would they do this and what do they hope to achieve?
For starters, going to court and hauling someone up there is far better than waiting every morning outside Mannat or Galaxy, hoping for an autograph of their favourite star. It is even far more efficient if you want the superstar, or for that matter that celebrity, to remember your name, or else why would they need to cherish memories of some lout who hangs outside their house every morning?
The law is also seen as cerebral and something of an enigma in the eyes of those who have a faint knowledge of it. Unless, of course, you are the kind of scheming, crafty lawyer hoping to get on in life. So when it is something that is cerebral, the serial litigator lout (SLL) also feels he is doing society a great favour.
Now, let’s get real. Would I really want to sue Shah Rukh Khan just because I saw him smoking? Seeing A Raja walk free, or for that matter seeing Lalit Bhanot become the IOA Secretary-General is something more blood-boiling. But then the average SLL is intellectually challenged, and we must condone some of their irrational behaviour. The SLL seeks publicity at all costs and the ones who suffer are the celebrities.
In our country today, almost everyone has the right to do as they please, and what is worse is they go ahead and do it. So if you want to get to the nearest PVR to watch the trailer, ahead of a movie, just plonk a red light atop your car and every cop who is not guarding some disreputable VIP will give you unfettered passage. In this kind of India, I am hardly surprised at not just the existence, but also the amazing implosion we are seeing in the SLL world.
So where will all of this take us? There will come a time, in the not-so-distant future, when celebrities will have to stay at home, under their duvets, cringing in fear lest they be slapped with a suit, which will go on longer than an awards function. For they could be taken to court for anything. For yawning while watching the proceedings of the parliament to being unpatriotic by not saluting the spirit of Kalmadi. It is this kind of deranged India that we are seeing being ushered in by a handful of those who are true perverts, and will do everything they can to sue until they can reap.
Is there a way out? I am sure there is. I am waiting for a court of law in India, which doles out capital punishment to someone who is abusing the justice system only for his or her selfish reasons. Only then will the serial litigator pause and the celebrity emerge from the dark shadows of his closet!
(Suhel Seth is managing partner of Counselage: suhel@counselage.com)