N. Manjunath, a photojournalist with Karnataka Photo News, is beaten up by advocates at the City civil court in Bangalore on Friday.
E.R. RAMACHANDRAN writes: What is wrong with our Black Coats?
Why are lawyers, who are supposed to uphold the law, protect innocents, work along with their compatriots in other professions like media and police, taking law into their hands are behaving like front-rank hooligans, time after time?
Amidst all the mayhem let loose on cameramen, lady journalists and media equipment at the civil courts in Bangalore on Friday, the police stood transfixed and immobile.
Was it deliberate and on orders?
If a set of thugs wearing whatever colour of coats turn into hooligans and beat up everybody, shouldn’t the protectors of law prevent this massacre? Were they waiting orders from the home minister or the chief minister himself to take any action?
If this kind of lawlessness is condoned by the government of the day, barely a kilometre from the scene of action, God help rest of Karnataka living in far flung places.
When photographs both still and video clippings are available of those who were indulging in arson and beating up everybody to initiate action against them, why do they need a ‘thorough enquiry’ which will take its own time?
The question again arises: who is ruling the State?
How is it that lawyers are repeatedly breaking the law and no action is even contemplated against them?
Less than a month back they held Bangalore city to ransom which resulted in massive rasta roko with school kids unable to go home; ladies caught in the melee. Again the BJP government didn’t take any action.
Friday’s episode is a shameful repeat of the previous incident but with a larger question mark over the government’s ability to protect a free press. It appears the State might have taken the ‘tit for tat’ on the porno-gate issue.
When Karnataka is trying to invite more investment into the State, if law and order becomes an issue every second day, the government can say ‘goodbye’ for foreign investment. Investors mainly look for a government which upholds law and order, an environment which is safe to conduct business free from Rasta rook etc.
If the Government does not see the warning signs it will go the West Bengal way. There’s no doubt about that.
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
Also read: How Kannada channels hit back at lawyers
How the BJP turned Karnataka politics into a cartoon
churumuri 
BJP government in Karnataka should be dismissed immediately.
Most corrupt, most shameless and most useless Govt.
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The lawyers need to be taught a good lesson. This is becoming a habit with them.
Next time they run riot like this, no enquiry, no committee, no long drawn out court cases (lol) against the lawyers.
Just send a huge posse of RAF or CRPF troops hardened in Kashmir, and clobber the living daylights out of the lawyers. Each and every one of them. Beat them on their backs and legs and hands, and beat them yet again when they try to flee. Keep beating them for 2 hours. They should not be able to walk at the end of it.
The media must promise that it will take an extremely sympathetic stance, and not pillory the forces for “brutality”.
And a message should be subtly sent out that next time these lawyers think of doing such a thing, the same thing will be repeated, with even greater ferocity.
That should knock some sense into these black-coat assholes.
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Karnataka is getting all kind of dubious distinction and it’s for sure becoming a “laloo bihar” of south …. corruption charged Ex CM has brought the complete administration to stand still until he is made the CM again …lawyers are becoming hoooligans which probably the country has never seen …holding the capital city for “Ransom” and now beating the media back and blue & the icing on cake is Police could not do any thing …the battle went for nine hours!!! ….aren’t these statements akin to what we read about terrorists in Kasmir !!! …I used to be a BJP supporter through out my life and now I am ashamed about it , it’s a shame that what we are seeing today under BJP and being a kannadiga this is not what I have seen in this erstwhile peace loving state … “Porn Video” tainted leaders are supported even after caught in the act by ex CM and “Mutts” …the members of this party have completely misused the trust of people it appears that it’s “Mutt Leaders” who are calling the shots and not the administrators …. is this how the “Mutts” and “BJP” treat the people for posing faith ??….there is no doubt that the complete administration is collapsed and karnataka has gone back by some years in development …. I don’t know if congress or JD(S) can be any different but the BJP has deceived the state & it’s people , ….being a national party It would be in best interest for state and BJP to propose for a president’s rule itself if they are not able reign in it’s own party members(I hate calling them as readers) … if the BJP central leadership can’t do it in karnataka then how can any one trust them at national level?…..
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If The “Black coats” guardians of the Law or law makers, indulge in law breaking, they should be punished as per law of the land. It is shame on part of the Law fretarnity. Why the Office bearers failed to render public apology? is it not their social obligation ? they have lost their morality, ethics and they donot ahe any right to live in a civilized society. Their true colours are exposed.
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Media ridicules Police day in and out. It is oxymoronish for the media to expect protection from the very same police force.
Respect the police, or pay the price for your actions/ arrogance.
However I condemn the acts of violence.
Mediamen should remember that their words against police too hurts the men in uniform.
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Lawyers are meant to uphold the law?
In India, lawyers are meant to subvert the law. They will provide you a way out of any crime.
A good criminal lawyer, is a ‘criminal’ + lawyer. He needs to know the police officers well, how to grease them to change the evidences, to know who are the witnesses that need to be undermined. They will use all means available to undermine it.
I know a ‘criminal’ lawyer who is cohorts with the criminals so much that he is a gangster himself.
Law is just a profession in this non-working system, that perpetuates this unjust system, where a person has zero hope of actually getting justice in time.
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Dear Friends
Please stop this as karnataka’s image is on the decline and let us strive to build better image of karnataka . Hope people would realise that adakege hooda mana aane kotturu baradilla
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Lawyers have their man in CM chair. Spoilt brats are bailed out by their dad. CM will bail them out.
~*~
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I am wondering how much of this lawlessness is due to our perpetual happy jathi politics. From all I have read, there is no indication why the insane lawyers objected to the presence of media persons at Janaradan Reddy’s appearance at the court. After brutualising the newspaper people, they made short work of students at the nearby Govt. College. How much of the jaathi politics of the students was involved in this altercation?
Did the police deliberately watch the fray because their side was winning? If they are incapable of maintaining law and order right on the precincts of a court of law, how can they expected to protect us? And then they lie in wait for the lawyers who held some constables hostage and beat up the lawyers as they got close Mysore Bank? What needs to be investigated is not just the behavior of the lawyer thugs, but also of the police thugs.
“Eri neerumbode, bEli eddu meydode, innaaranu doorali Koodalasangamadeva?”
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1 For 6 decades since Independence, farmers don’t even get timely irrigation and 1-phase electricity for 4 hours, but Mittal and Tata get megawatts of power, full supply water in 2 years in North Karnataka..
2 Primary school teachers molesting school children..
3 research advisors exploiting their students..
4 Even top scientists submitting blatantly plagiarized reports to the government
5 yellow journalism, paid news, paid news editors..
6 Paid government selections, paid transfers, paid promotions,
7 Illegally operating educational institutions, producing engineers >80% of who are unemployables
8 policemen demanding money for not raiding..
9 BBMP keeping KR Market as collateral..
10 Illegal mining in Kanakpur, Satanur, Tumkur, Chamaraja Nagar..
11 Corrupt judiciary, politically sensitive cases suddenly breathe into life once elections are declared
12 Forest guards setting fire to invaluable forests
13 Smear campaigns and physical attacks against honest social activists, honest scientists, honest officials
14 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
15 Commonwealth Games
16 Country with the highest black money
17 Bill Gates donates $2billion to his foundation, Ambani invests it in Africa
18 China develops its own aircraft carriers, stealth missiles; India sees arms imports as tool to safeguard international relations; once we had Mulayam Singh as our Defence Minister!!!
19 We open back offices to western companies, and say it is boom in software industry; China produces all computer hardware, its companies like Lenovo, Huawei are making rapid strides globally
20 Uncontrolled illegal migration from across borders; just pay the BSF some bucks; that’s sufficient to enter; just pay the taluk offices some bucks and I get ration card; now I am all set to vote.
21 Despite being one country, we need separate codes for different religions. One can marry any number of times, and produce any number of children, with scant thoughts on the coutry’s population crisis
So, is this decay in our society limited to Karnataka, or is it pandemic in our great country, or am I too much of a cynic?
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One wonders if there is more than that meets the eye in this case and if interested parties in the case that was being heard, indulged in these incidents under the garb of lawyers. The violence and the subsequent blacking out of the lawyers by the media, would only suit such parties.
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Lawyers are responsible for much of the evils of society. They drag court cases for years and make the judicial system ineffective. They cook up evidence to allow the guilty to go free. They ensure that the innocent are sent behind bars. With such a reputation, no one will shed tears for them. They are highly arrogant and deserve what they got.
They behaved like terrorists indulging in violence and taking hostages. Govt. has booked cases against a few, but will they be punished? Highly doubtful!!
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Mr. Acharya:
>However I condemn the acts of violence.
Oh thanks for the concession!
But Why? Your sentences prior to this justified police inaction!! Criticize Police and you deserve what comes your way!?
By your logic, Police is doing a favor to folks in maintaining law & order. Mind you – Protection is not given by Police, it is given by Constitution & law.
Police are employees hired by people (state) to enforce the law. Criticizing them is the right of the employer. If the employee doesn’t like it, he can leave the job, but can’t choose to ignore the job, while receiving a salary.
By your logic, the security guard of your building can’t be criticized by you, because he may decide to do nothing when someone attacks you?
Weird is a mild word to describe your logic.
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Dismantle all unofficial Unions like- Bar council of India, press council , Indian medical association, SFI, ABVP, Labour union, Trade union, All workers union, including wealthy Nasscom . They are not mature enough to handle mutual cooperativeness and inter connection of different unions instead they become epicenter of all violence, greed, selfishness just throwing mud on each other. Because of their arrogance and greed nation is burning and still backward. They are not different from any political party. People can work even without these organized Gangs.
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media is showing only one side of the coin … if they have guts show how the rampage started by their media persons …… only to cover some of the political persons these media are not giving respect to the courts….
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Absolutely! Like PTL put it, there are 2 thug types, the police n the lawyers. Add to that, Earlier it was Acharya, the supposedly cleanest but absolutely ineffective person as home min. Now we have asoka, the most corrupt but the same ineffective home min types. ( interestingly churumuri hasn’t had any article on the clean Acharya after the demise!!!)
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Friday’s incidents is a clear reflection of the Government’s inaction. It should have taken action soon after the first incident when the lawyers went berserk. Even in the latest incident, the Government failed to give freedom to act and delayed decision resulted in more violence. The call to boycott courts, repeatedly indulged, is a violation of SC verdict. But no one is questioning this blatant violation.
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Emptymind–
Narasimharao and P. M. Singh set the stage for the promotion of shameless economic fascism two decades ago. Even in its tattered state, unionism, with a little assist from the NGOs, is the only force battling economic totalitarianism in the country.
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@Harkol
If police control the mob by force media reports it as “atrocities by Police” and hell breaks loose…self declared human rights activists, amnesty, transparency, likes of medha patkar, arundhati roy would shower their choicest “compliments” on the Police force…Just because the mediamen are on the receiving end, they can not expect police to use all their force on the violent mob…(administration too is at fault…they had suspended police officials responsible for the arrest of lawyers last month…now paying the price…entire police force has taught a lesson to the ever meddling politicians)…
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Our representatives create law for providing business opportunity to Lawyers and generate unproductive employment in the legal system. Many a times we create a new law just because other countries have similar law. Take for example the new proposal to increase punishment for traffic violation. We want to increase punishment to violators. This will increase corruption in Police department because people do not have the capacity to pay the increased fine or do not want to part with their hard earned money or they just want to save that money. After all they violate because there is no other go. We do not have good roads, we do not have wide roads even if they start early they just cont reach their work place in time, or they just want to travel because our culture is that we want to attend every marriage and functions. Even if we are late we just want to spend some time in prayer so that we do not get caught for violations. we believe that if we pray we will not get caught. The Government and the religious institutions preach that, you pray.
The result corruption will increase, people will become thick skinned and going to Jail by not paying fine will become a fashion, or even people will start roughing up few honest policemen who stops you for violations and take law in to their hands.
Creating a rule with out providing infrastructure and facilities is of no use. we will only end up with building a society full of corrupt people and criminals.
Instead we can levy a fee on vehicle owners and on fuel and employ more people friendly police to guide and regulate traffic and assist people every where. But then can we expect that the government will use the fee collected for this purpose only and not spend on more luxury cars for ministers and people representatives welfare.
The present day Governments start collecting money on such excuses and misuse it for their own enjoyment. Police personal instead of loitering around ministers and ministers bungalows or creating traffic jams whenever a Minister uses a road should work for the people. Today an unproductive minister gets priority in road against an Ambulance and people going for work. There are executives to do the work, why should the Minister supervise every other work. Why should the Minister attend every function? he is only wasting public money by doing that.
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Dr.Acharya:
No one blames police if they use judicious force to quell a mob. But, police mostly use force to quell political opponents of present regime (like in Ramlila) and are silent observers when it suits present regime (like in Gujarat 2002).
When stones are being thrown, public property is being destroyed, the first priority of Police is to bring order. They should first ask people to disperse, if they don’t Using water cannons, lathis to disperse crowds is acceptable when people have lost all sense.
What is not justified is use of force to disperse peaceful crowd. Using excessive force (like shooting, killing) people when they are not lethally armed. What is not justified is Police enforcing a curfew at 11.30pm in night on people who are peacefully going about their lives!
And I am not talking about Media alone. They were ineffective when lawyers attacked the police themselves a few weeks back. In the end it is the public that suffers.
Police and Administration are equally at fault for such mess.
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We cannot complain anybody when we the people have not elected a strong government. With a slender majority, the government is in a vulnerable position. Neither can they take decisive action on any matter nor quit . Either way the party will be blamed. There could also be some conspiracy to embarrass the government and compel them to make more mistakes. The advocates being an elite and educated group, the onus is on them. They are not supposed to act like the way they have. The government has rather shown maximum restraint. What is required is whenever elections are held, vote decisively and ask for action. Then only people can criticize for any wrong doing.
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Harihar,
You are more like a well-informed cynic waiting for someone else to act. I have no sympathy for farmers who expect free power when there are others non-farmers who pay for power. BTW perverts are everywhere and you should take it easy while generalizing facts.
Have a cool beer and take it easy.
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Now the Bar council has decided not to fight any case for media folks? They need a wake up call. Supreme court should step in and declare the Bar council action to be against fundamental rights, and punish the office holders of Bar council by Baring them from practicing law for a year.
If they want to support those breaking law, then they should be punished too.
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The government should give these people one week. Wind up all your bullshit within a week, or your license will be revoked. See how the rascals begin to fall in line.
It is time to start acting tough with these people. They won’t understand any other kind of language.
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Every thing is wrong with Black Coats:
1. They are the people who make law for this country – not for providing justice to the common man but for creating more and more business for themselves and unproductive employment in the Government in general and legal sector in particular.
2. They are the people who try to drag each and every case in courts by taking adjournments according to their whims and fancies- many a times in urban areas they will have cases in different courts and they attend cases which gives them more money and publicity and the rest they take adjournments by sending their juniors.
3. They are the people who act as your agents to bribe police or judicial staff to get the cases postponed or preponed and so on.
4. The corrupt Police wont take any action against lawyers because, it is lawyers who feed them.
5. Of course there are exceptions and there are good lawyers.
6.Legal system in this country is left to us by the British to rule us and the Lawyers in power have retained it to rule us.
7. Is it not proof and reason enough if a politician who had nothing in hand before entering politics becomes owner of thousands of crore of rupees worth assets in a span of just 4-5 years – to send him to jail and confiscate his wealth? Should we give such politicians an opportunity to fight the battle for tens of years in courts till their death and get away with it?
8. If you say so the courts may drag you to court for insulting them, police and lawyer may drag you to court and asking billions of rupee compensation for insulting them?
9. We are slaves of this dirty people today instead of the British who ruled us for decades.
10. If you give a call to the people to take law in to their hands and punish these people in the street Courts may punish you for instigating people. SO what else you can do?
11. Even the media is not honest. Every one wants to earn money and fame and through that more money. Morning you will find they will show you temples, they will forecast your fate for the day and noon they will broadcast infomercials where they will give you Hanuman Kavacha/Yantra or Rudrakshi or suitable gem stone so that you get solutions to all your problems and become rich and healthy. in the after noon they will show you Pavada created by super humans and living gods so that you will have some one to fall to their feet in search of a solution. In the evening they will think of honest citizens and telecast music shows etc and provide opportunity to the young to show their talents. Of course in between they will show you some movies, teach you how to cook and so on. Every thing for money. News channels either create news or show news. What ever they do it is for us.
12. Now whom we should believe. Given a choice I will believe the media since by far they are better than lawyers, police and Judiciary. Of course we have exceptions every where.
Forgive me and correct me if I have said anything wrong. I am only a poor citizen effected by the police, lawyers , courts, Government, some time or the other and afraid of telling it in open for the reason stated above
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Ree Swamy, Anand,
Enree mathadtira? Neevu. Court enu lwayers swanta aasti na? Illa privite club uh? Pratiyobba prajegu courtna yavude kalapavannu nodo avakasha ide. Adakke adanna janara munde nyaya kodo nyayalaya anta kareyodu. Ella shuru agiddu lawyers indane. Ishtella madokinta muche yochne madbekitu parinama enagutte anta. Enu hoduskondu hogi lawyers nammanna hodedaru, naavu hodeskond bandvi anta report maadidre journalist olleyavru. Matte court nalli bandaglella hinge byskondu hodskondu. Yara yaru rajyakke esht esht mosa madiddare, avrge nyayalaya esht esht shikshe kottide anta barithare alva?
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Just imagine the reaction if the media actually did all it was supposed to do.
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I think its high time some minimum qualifications (like 75% score in PUC) are fixed to study LLb course in Karnataka. It seems that scoundrels who cannot get through other exams are deciding to become lawyers.
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@Shivaprakash,
Basically you mean people who get second class & third class in PUC are goondas and they indulged in violence after graduation.
I lost count on how man idiotic thoughts people hold in their mind.
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@paciFier, I agree.
Just ask 1000 people to run 100 meter race:
– some come within 11 seconds (give them distinction certificate),
– some within13 seconds (First class),
– some within 14 seconds (Second class)
– some within 15 seconds (Third class)
Those who are over 15 seconds fail.
Exams are nothing but complex extension of this example.
PS: There is no reason why PUC 2nd & 3rd class students are less law abiding than PUC 1st class students.
~*~
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@ Shivaprakash: what is the basic qualification to become a journalist/ media man?
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@Shivaprakash ….and unsuccessful lawyers get into politics. The word is that the advocates association has factions and the one loyal to JDS was at the forefront of this ruckus.
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@paciFier et al: I did not say that students with lower scores are goondas. It seems you do have that concept. Even the 75% score I mentioned is only arbitrary. People who have higher grades can definitely be said to have spent more time studying and understanding their subject, and can be better professionals. What I am saying is, judiciary being one of the arms of the government must be made more respectable. If we have competitive exams for administrative positions in the governments, elections for representatives then it should not be like just passing an LLb is sufficient to become a lawyer. I hope you have had the experience of going to our high court campus some time and see how things work there.
@Dr. Kiran Acharya: Journalism is not one among the three basic arms of the government, but judiciary is. Moreover, journalism can be now professionally studied; but one should remember that many of the successful journalists are self-made and self-taught personalities, with little academic training in journalism.
@Curry Hurry: You are only openly stating what anyone who has sane brain over his shoulders can think for himself. ಅಂಗೈ ಹುಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಕನ್ನಡಿ ಬೇಕಾ?
***
I remember reading news reports on our former Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph as stating that if he stayed as CJ of Karnataka for long enough time, he would forget his English. Both the spoken and written English of most of our lawyers is so horrible!! I have a first-hand experience of this. I take this to be indicative of the low caliber of people coming into legal profession.
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Shivaprakash is right about the abysmal quality of lawyers here. If you ever interact with them, you will know. There are very few good ones.
The sad reality is that middle class parents in India put their kids into either medicine or engineering. Things like law are usually leftovers for the “poor performers”. Very few get into law out of choice, most do so out of compulsion. This, unfortunately, is the truth in India currently. It will change in the next 10-15 years, but till then, we have to grin and bear it.
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Doddi Buddi is right when he says ” Have a cool beer and take it easy.”
That what “Bar Councils” are for.
Only one Beer——–Butt.
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