On 23rd of the March last year, everything round the country came to a standstill, because of sudden announcement of a nationwide lockdown. Millions of migrant workers had to return back to their respective homes barefoot, and without anything to eat or drink. Normalcy is still nowhere in sight. And the people across the world are wondering as to how long it may take them to live their usual lives.
This pandemic has taken out the whole pride from the world in just one go. Four million people are reported to have died so far and we do not know how many more lives will be lost and how long it may take to come to an end. Many of us have lost our loved ones and seen the worst of our times in our lives.
Timely vaccination has helped some of the people and countries around the world to get back to their routine but we are still struggling. We do not know how long it may take us to get there. Most of the affluent countries do have means and resources to sustain like this for as long as they may wish. But a country like India can hardly afford the luxury of feeding its people for free if the pandemic continues to loom large over their heads for too long.By profession I am a lawyer, and in my opinion it is my first and foremost duty to highlight the sufferings many of us are undergoing because of this horrific situation. More than fifteen months on in a row we are staying at our homes without doing anything to sustain ourselves or our respective families dependent on us for their survival.
Not being able to practice our profession and earn our daily livelihood. Some time back it came to be reported that in Delhi alone around 3500 of us were seen queuing for a free meal being distributed at different free food distribution centres run by various NGOs and government agencies. The situation elsewhere I believe is even worse and pitiable. What kind of misery this may have brought to the poor litigants all over is an altogether different story to tell?For many working from home may have worked well and become a norm now.
But the virtual mode hearings resorted to by the courts for many reasons have not proven to be effective; they are not as viable as physical hearings used to be. Firstly very few cases get taken up.
On the one hand we are unable to plead our cases effectively and do justice with our profession. And on the other Hon’ble judges are not able to comprehend the submissions that are made to do complete justice in case. As such we virtually end up doing nothing and everyday justice becomes causality for no good reasons at all.
Therefore sooner the daily physical hearing of the cases is restored, it will be better for both lawyers and for the people in general who they represent in these courts. Justice delivery system plays a vital role in any society. We cannot afford to allow it to be made redundant or die down like this.
We have got the best of everything that is needed. Be that in the shape of manpower or infrastructure. We got everything available with us in comparison to the other departments or institutions. That too when most of us have been vaccinated, out of the turn, of course with the intervention of the Hon’ble High Court.
Why then we should not be able to return to work and discharge our duties towards general public. After all we need to account for every moment of our time that is being wasted.