Almost everyone is cognizant of the fact that we as humans are the successors of the apes that once inhabited this planet. A lot of our genetic material is still identical to that of monkeys, hence they bear the brunt of every innovation for humans and have to be the scapegoats to numerous scientific experiments. Would it then be very irrational to say that with the monkey mind we possess, we can engage in all sorts of malicious activities that would be menacing for the entire humankind? Not really, the best evidence for this is readily available at all busy streets and highways in our country where no traffic police keeps an eye on the public or punishes the rule-breakers with a challan fee. With our ingrained complacency, it is but the most logical thing for us to engage in deeds that benefit us, solely us, no matter the price others have to pay for it. Greed and corruption run in the veins of almost everyone in this age of unbounded materialism. Thus pay a certain amount to a government official and your pending file is passed or your requisite permission is granted; pay a wad of notes to a corrupted police officer and you’ll be left with a warning. Is it then any surprise that some unabashed, boastful citizens of our country proudly proclaim that rules are meant to be broken? Not at all, after all, corruption has dug its roots deep into our society. How? Quite obviously, we are all self-centered beings, unmindful of our duties as a citizen of our country or a member of our society.
It would be apt to say from the aforementioned examples that if a well-established judiciary was not given its power by the constitution of our country, we would be doomed to a society plagued with crimes, corruption and aristocracy. It is but the fear of punishment that still keeps people in checks, lest the beastly side of them would come to light, just like it did during the partition of India. We are all shades of black and white, it is but the environment we live in that largely determines the course of our actions and imparts us with a certain code of conduct. If the fear of the law was ruled out completely, much of the darker shades of our character would be free to commit unrestrained actions. But what if we as humans deliberately started to break laws as and when it suited our purpose? Society would indeed be a clutter of chaos. What if the law isn’t in our favor? Should we still respect it even if it causes us a financial loss? We certainly should, primarily because otherwise, we would be guilty of another charge and secondarily because it is by taking the consequences of our actions, either favorable or unfavorable, that we reinforce our morality and stand apart as true human beings from our predecessors (the apes) and the corrupted, boastfully, unabashed, lawbreakers.
Moreover, the judiciary works for the welfare of society, its aim is never to punish the innocent. Thus a person bound by his morality and civil behavior has no fears of being accused of an action he did not commit and even if he is, the judiciary enables him to defend himself following the procedures and regulations prescribed. By no means thus should a person think of taking the law in their hand. We might have been the victims of extremely corrupted villains but what would differentiate between them and us if we too started fighting, abusing and breaking the law just like them? The judiciary however does permit an action committed solely for self-defense, like the law enacted that gives women the right to defend themselves by physically injuring their attackers. An act committed solely out of self-defense doesn’t fall into the class of unlawful activity. As for everything else, it is by following the rules prescribed that we would be best able to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
But what when we encounter a person deliberately breaking traffic rules: passing on even when the signal is red and going unpunished? The very sight is bound to entice our monkey mind into following suit, should we give in to the impulse now and then when there’s nobody to lookout? Certainly not, our values are meant for our moral conduct, not only for masquerading as a law-abiding citizen but being one. Should we then confront the people who are breaking rules when there’s nobody on watch? That certainly depends, while an outgoing and a quick-tempered person might enjoy the adrenaline rush of confronting a person for their misbehavior, an introverted, peace-loving person might let them pass and leave them to their own fates. Some might object that the latter class is ignorant of its duties in making other people aware of their roles and responsibilities, that is not true. As Rumi puts it “I cannot claim to be a lion conquering the world, to conquer myself would be enough.” To be a law-abiding citizen ourselves is what all we can do as civil beings. If every individual chose to come out of their self-centered nutshell and take responsibilities as a moral citizen, not for changing the world, but for being a good citizen themselves, we would have better utilized our planet together, which we are now, by our complacent activities, rolling towards destruction.
