Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had to do something he seldom does. It had to be a personal statement from him to control a large fire on social media on a Saturday
The internet was basically in a frenzy on Friday afternoon. The internet doesn’t need to be told what to do anyway. There was a lot of snippets of courtroom exchanges all about within hours of a live Supreme Court hearing. The CJI began calling the unemployed youths of India “cockroaches” and “parasites” and his remarks made themselves known through news channels and social media pages. All the nuance was stripped away by short video clips and ill-chosen tweets. Immediately thereafter, there was a backlash. People were furious. Political commentators came out with criticisms of the judiciary.
On the next day, however, Kant was unequivocal, killing off the story. He was quite forthright about it. He categorically stated that a part of the media had misquoted him. They were making a specific legal observation, and in their sensationalist spin, made a cheap sensationalist headline
Kant was “ennobled” by the coverage, he said. His intention was to get this one thing straight before the weekend was over. He wasn’t referring to the millions of young people who are having trouble finding a job during a challenging economy. He was speaking about con men.
Who was he going to attack?
It was a very specific crowd against whom the real anger of the bench was used. Fraudulent professionals.
Kant meant no disrespect to the people who avail themselves of fake and bogus degrees to enter into serious professions, for whom his harsh complaints were directed squarely. He singled out the profession of the law. He spoke of those who are wearing black robes, and have no business whatsoever being inside a courtroom. He didn’t stop with the lawyers, however. The same kind of individuals have infiltrated into the ranks of journalists, social media platforms and other groups for the Right to Information (RTI), said the Chief Justice
He labeled these certain people parasites. Why? As if, he said, they pretend to be a legitimate part of the system and then work from within to attack institutions and the system. They don’t have real qualifications. They’re just a nuisance and a pain in the system. The media only took the term ‘cockroach’ and said ‘cockroach kids’. Kant referred to it as a completely unfounded spin.
This is the frivolous case that brought it all to a head.This is the frivolous case that sparked it all.
You need to read what was actually going on inside the Supreme Court on Friday, to appreciate the enraged Chief Justice’s first motivation. The hearing was an unusual one.
A petition was filed by an advocate Sanjay Dubey. He was basically demanding that the Delhi High Court designate him as a senior advocate. He even wished contempt of court for the postponements in his recognitions. This rubbed the bench the wrong way right away. Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Kant were seated together. Both of them attacked petitioner’s petition from the off.
Reminded him that being a senior advocate does not mean that it is a fundamental right that is guaranteed by a lawsuit. It is an honor. The court does it because of your raw merit and your long tenure in the justice system. It’s a sign of very high regard. He was honest to Justice Bagchi and said, categorically, that he did not believe so and that it was merely a status symbol to be worn at parties as an adornment. Then, they questioned him about whether it was right to pursue prestige through litigation. The bench, at one point, pointed out to the petitioner that the entire world may be deserving of the senior tag but he surely is not, on his present lines.
The lawyer’s social media use also was mentioned in the heated exchange. The bench told him to mind his language on social media such as Facebook as it was aggressive. The CJI basically just said to him to learn to behave as a professional, rather than hanging out with people who just want to destroy the system online. After realising that he had no chance, petitioner later apologised to the judges and withdrew the entire case promptly.
A threat to present the CBI.
But the anger from the bench spilled over into a much bigger, systemic issue. The sham education system.
Kant was no wimp. There are thousands of people at the door of the judiciary in Delhi who are extremely unqualified, he said. The court is supervising them on YouTube and Facebook. They view what these so-called attorneys are posting. And they are not sure if these folks attended a legitimate law school.
The Chief Justice even went so far as to claim that he “waits for the right case to come to his table to give him the opportunity to carry out a wholesale investigation. He’d like the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the law degrees of these advocates. It was a pretty clear warning shot across the bow.
He even went so far as to take a shot at the Bar Council of India that is supposed to keep the lawyers in check. Kant said the “statutory offices will likely do nothing to fix the situation as they will be elected by the same folks at their internal elections.” It is elected by lawyers. If many voters have fake degrees, those who are elected will not have an interest in catching those who have. It’s a vicious circle of corruption, and the CJI is aware of it.
Children have a very clear sense of what is fair.Children know what is fair, and what is not.
Kant was keen to divorce the false degree question from the issue of youth unemployment itself by Saturday. He was aware that he was getting away with the truth from the issue.
He concluded his talk with copious accolades for the younger generation. He hailed the youngsters as the very pillars of a developed India. He has a lot of respect for them and he is inspired by them on a daily basis. He even said that it’s not an exaggeration to say that young Indians have always shown him a great deal of respect.
The message came across loud and clear. Whether you are a hardworking youth who wants to make a living, the Chief Justice of India is on your side. However, if you have purchased a fake certificate to add “Advocate” or “Journalist” to your bio, then the Supreme Court is keeping a close watch on you. Or he/she could be coming to your doorstep with the CBI at any moment.
