Judicial corruption, temple priests & Cupid

We take legitimate pride in our judiciary. It has upheld the rule of law and has been a bulwark against authoritarianism, notwithstanding some aberrations during the spurious 1975 Emergency. Despite the public''s frustration with the horrendous delays in the justice delivery system the demand is for a sitting or a retired Supreme Court judge to head a commission of inquiry.
Recent reports about the misbehaviour of some judges of the Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Rajasthan High Courts are most distressing. How do we deal with a few rotten eggs who tarnish the image of the judiciary and cast a slur on judges, the majority of whom are honest and conscientious? The present method of removal of judges, popularly called impeachment, is cumbersome and tends to get politicised. This happened in the case of Justice V Ramaswami, where because of the abstention of the Congress from voting in Parliament the motion for his removal could not be carried. It is essential that whilst enforcing accountability of the judiciary its independence is not impaired. An alternative mechanism would be to entrust this function to a body whose composition should be exclusively judicial. The errant judge whose conduct is being inquired into must have a full opportunity of defence. The report of the inquiry body, a Judicial Council, may be placed before a committee of seven senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. If it is accepted then the same can be placed before Parliament for appropriate action.
Judicial misbehaviour should also cover conduct off the Bench if it brings the judicial office into disrepute and affects public confidence in the administration of justice. Apart from removal in the case of proven judicial corruption other forms of punishment should also be devised for deviant judicial behaviour like persistent refusal to work, chronic unpunctuality, habitual behaviour on the Bench. Recommendations on the subject of removal of judges have been made by the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution. There may be other alternatives. The need of the hour is for a full and informed debate in and outside Parliament. The matter is too serious to brook delay.
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Innocent worshippers in temples in Jammu and Ahmedabad have been targets of terrorist attacks. Only a pervert would regard such dastardly acts as part of a freedom struggle. One interesting consequence is that temple authorities are contemplating to impart martial arts training to priests which would comprise karate, judo or kung-fu skills. The idea is to create a second line of defence. Will that be effective against terrorists armed with AK-47s and grenades? Or will priests soon require training in firearms and be also equipped with machine guns which they can sling across their shoulders and pray to the Almighty for help? Only time can tell about the success of these innovative ideas.
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Various measures have been suggested to cope with militancy. One is to redress the root cause of bitter dissatisfaction with the system with resultant recourse to violence. Another is enactment of stringent laws and their effective implementation. Yet another is amnesty for leaders of militant groups and unconditional talks with them.
Enlisting the help of Cupid, the god of love, can be helpful. It is reported that several rebels of the separatist guerrilla group National Liberation Front of Tripura have fallen in love with women recruits and eloped deserting the outfit. Some have surrendered to security forces and others have gone into hiding fearing retaliation. A former rebel militant, tired of life on the run, fell in love with a young recruit at a training camp. After a few months they fled, got married and ultimately surrendered to the police in Agartala. Good luck to them. Apparently Cupid''s arrows are quite potent in combating militancy.