THE suspension by the Delhi High Court on May 8th, 2015 (yesterday) of Salman Khan’s five years jail sentence for a hit-and-run death of a homeless man in 2002 came as no surprise. In India there is a long tradition where it is expected that the rich, powerful, and politically well-connected will eventually be acquitted, no matter how sinister or brutal the crime or offense committed. This case shows that India is still the country where status, power, and money can not only get you a long way, but where they can also buy justice. It makes most hallow and hypocritical the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s promise of transparency, fairness, and prosperity for all.
Politicians are rarely, if ever, convicted for schemes of corruption and theft. In the Salman case, what is most shocking and sickening is that many people in India joyfully celebrated the decision and many Bollywood stars vehemently supported him all along. One play-back singer even went so far as to liken the unfortunate victim to ‘just a dog’, easily disposable and from whose death no consequence should arise.
Do not these people have even an iota of compassion for this poor soul, who, like millions of others, has nowhere to rest body and mind but on the hard and cold pavement? How can emotional attachment to an idol or star blind people so much that they fail to realise that, rich or poor, we are all endowed with the priceless gift of life, and that we are all inter-connected in this cosmic drama of life and death. Stardom and fame should make people even more humble, and open to the pains and sufferings of others. But, with very few exceptions, the stars of Bollywood have so distanced themselves from the poor and unfortunate, that, for them, that world of struggle, pain, poverty and tears does not even exist.
The classic case of where justice in India has failed the poor is the Bhopal disaster, a crime against both man and the environment. In December 1984, more than 8,000 people were killed within 72 hours after 45 tons of toxic gas was released from the Bhopal Plant of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), India subsidiary, (UCIL). Innumerable others were blinded, suffered major pulmonary disorders, terrible pregnancy outcomes, psychiatric disorders and a host of chronic ailments. Many would die in the ensuing years and overall, nearly half a million people suffered severe toxic exposure. Criminal charges were brought against UCC and its Indian subsidiary. In 1996 the Supreme Court of India handed a sentence that is the equivalent to causing death by negligence in a traffic accident.
By siding with the rich and powerful, it ensured that justice was denied to the poor victims of Bhopal, so much so that Raghu Jaidev, one of the victims, had to remark thus: “In India, rich people always get away…..we poor keep struggling till we die.”
They have been many cases in India involving high profile people from politicians to celebrities and a plethora of wealthy and well-connected people in between, who have literally bought justice with their money and power.
In August 28, 2012, Bloomberg Business magazine carried a lengthy report on Om Prakash Gupta, a six-time member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly, who through his family run grain trading firm concocted a vast scam operation and stole US$14.5 billion of food while the poor in India starved to death.
Among the rich and powerful in India there is a deep-rooted culture of entitlement. They think that they should be able to get away with doing wrong or evil actions. They rarely acknowledge fault, and even when they do so, they still feel that they are above the law and should not be touched. They are privileged, heroes and heroines to millions and should not have to face the indignity of any legal action or conviction. Their idea of their very self or identity is inextricably linked to their fame, stardom and wealth. They live in a world so different that in their thinking the ordinary folks may as well cease to exist. And that is why they can crush them with impunity.

CECIL RAMKIRATH