Justice Pays the Price

 The rule of law in Maharashtra has always been held ransom to the treats and intimidation by perpetrators of violence. The Shiv Sena and its off shoots have enjoyed soft treatment by a state, since its formation in the 1960s. This protective impunity reached an all time high after 1992-1993.

Even on the issue of prosecution of all those guilty identified by the Justice BN Srikrishna Commission report, the state government and even the judiciary have allied in perpetrating a culture of impunity. In 2001, and again in 2007 when survivors and citizens campaigns built up to demand punishment of all those guilty, the Shiv Sena flexed its muscles through violent verbiage. The Saamna  was always the vehicle, articles and editorials daring the state to act. Unfortunately, each time, the state bowed to the threats, ensuring not just the culture of impunity but a pervasive sense of discriminatory justice and alienation.