Richard Gere’s alleged offense of kissing Shilpa Shetty in public, would have remained confined to a few TV news channels and the people present at the event (and didn’t find it offensive)… if it hadn’t been for the PIL filed by one Jaipur lawyer. Now the whole world knows about it.

A relatively insignificant percentage of Indians knew that someone called MF Hussain even existed and an even smaller percentage of people would have seen his so called ‘offensive paintings’… until half a dozen PILs were filed, and mindless mobs damaged property and took to the streets in protest.

The fact is: many of these so called offenses against our culture and religion would have remained insignificant and unheard of, if it wasn’t for the protests against them.

This brings me to the point that those who make an issue out what they call offences, actually end up promoting and propogating ‘the offences’!

While the concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is very sound, and its existence in the Indian legal system is desired, one would wish it was used more judiciously.

With our courts inundated with work, and important criminal cases being pushed for years, there’s no doubt (and general agreement in the country) that many PILs serve no purpose at all, except to give the people behind them fleeting fame, and add to the burdon on our legal system.

The Cause of the Malaise: At an individual level its most probably 15 Minutes of Fame, perhaps getting to meet the celebrity in court (or out of it), and perhaps getting paid to shut up. At the social and cultural level it’s clearly about useless and empty minds being given something to do, and developing delusionary self importance.

Channeling Energies for Real Crimes: My submission to these ‘activists’ is try and find real issues… tangible issues and crimes against society and our nation, that are not subjective, but clearly offensive. Try and help the countless rape victims who come under police and social pressure to withdraw cases. Try and fight for millions of minors employed illegally in shops, factories and hazardous places. Try and file a case against the traffic police for focussing on collecting bribes, rather than regulating traffic. Try, because the list of real crimes and “offences” in our country is endless.

What say you? Or will you find some way to file a case against me..?