Sanjay's Sojourn

There had been a huge public outburst over the past week across the country. We have come out openly, in unison against the judicial system, despite our profession and the social strata we belong to. If one thinks it is against the delayed justice to any one of the scores of rape victims who are minors (or even majors), she is wrong. It is also not against the unexceptional murders and killings that are extending the nation with the killers getting protection under strong political clout. We are much less perturbed about the recent spate of robberies in Gurgaon and Noida and the perfect inability of the law enforcement agencies to contain the issue.

Our contention is much different and largely revolves around incarceration of our very own Sanjay Dutt aka Sanju Baba. Well, since he was found with real guns, some punishment was just. That also fits our all-accosting macho image of Sanjay Dutt. But six years? How can the judicial system be so unfair? Media who wanted to churn most butter out of the Dutt imprisonment milk interviewed scores of celebrities. Almost all came out vocally against Judge Kode’s decision. Six years in prison was too much. Honestly, it will be difficult for anyone, even hit men and serial killers.

But who cares about them? Sanjay Dutt is our star; the charismatic character of Munnabhai MBBS and its sequel are still animate in the memory. How can we let such a horrible thing happen to someone who can cure problems with a ‘Jaadu ki Jhappi’ (bear hug)?

We totally overlooked our ignorance of law and knowledge of which crime calls for a prison sentence of what duration. Notwithstanding our naïveté on Indian Penal Code, we matter-of-factly declared that Judge Pramod Dattatreya Kode who has been practicing law under various capacities for 25 years now, has proclaimed a wrong and uncalled-for sentence. The 1993 Mumbai blasts are over a decade old and lost in our (read public) memory. And after all these years, it really does not make a big difference what type of gun the ‘reel-life’ star of Vaastav was arrested with. We have all forgotten that and are lost in the magic of filmdom where Sanju Baba has been so successful.

While arguing with a well-informed friend on the humanity of the judgment, I was confronted with a assertion that Sanjay Dutt has already suffered so much in the thirteen year trial that another six years of imprisonment was simply too much. Well, for one, being out on bail and carrying out one’s life normally cannot be called suffering. Also, we are not sure whether the trial lasted so long only because of Mr. Dutt’s high profile connections. But the mental torment of the legal sword dangling over is duly accepted. But should not people think about it before being caught with deadly firearms? Two, a question comes irrevocably challenges us. Would our stance had been same if the personage involved had been of respective anonymity?

A logical thinking process and an ethical perspective of the judicial system, even for celebrities, will help us appreciate the decision. Judge Kode’s sentence will not be hard to accept even as distinguished jurist Soli Sorabjee commented that it would pertain to illegality if it had been less than five years.

Amidst the public angst and incessant media activity, one man is carrying out his ordeal of life gracefully, Mr. Sanjay Dutt. In tears (anyone will do that, isn’t it?) while leaving for prison, he has taken the sentence in stride. It will be really imperative for us, as fans and responsible citizens to let law have its course and the man his dignity. He will be surely a less morally burdened man after the completion of his sentence. And the media will do well by leaving him alone and not inflicting more humiliation by comparing him to Gandhi or brainstorming such ridiculous propositions.

One aspect this debate clearly brought out is the depth of friends that Sanjay Dutt has. Lets hope things remain status quo six years hence and we as fans accept him again as a bollywood super hero once he has ended his sentence. With the same zeal we are contesting the viability of the six-year jail term today.