Blog 1 - Heartily Congratulate Respected Home Minister for Reforming Outdated Laws

Dear Home Minister / Prime Minister,

Sirs, on behalf of myself and many fellow citizens, I write to express our sincere gratitude for your dedication and service to our great nation - Bharat.

Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for making us feel proud to be Indian.

Your work as Prime Minister has made a real difference in the lives of many Indians. We are very grateful for your dedication and vision.

Those advocating for the retention of 75-year-old laws are the same individuals who consistently demand higher pay scales and modern amenities for themselves. The persistence of decades-old, unproductive laws benefits their personal interests. By keeping common people entangled in prolonged struggles for justice in courts and police stations, this way they strategically divert attention, ensuring that important questions are not raised concerning their governance.

Even though the whole world saw Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist who killed 166 people in the Mumbai attacks, politicians were scared of the thought of his release from prison because of loopholes in the laws. Even the government itself faced embarrassment when it had to carry out the execution of the murderers of two Indian Prime Ministers. The reason for this is that there are many loopholes in the laws. The cunning lawyers could even make the truth a lie with their intelligence. As a result, criminals started getting released and innocent people started getting arrested.

The legal system in a large country like India is so fragile that a single skilled lawyer can manipulate the outcome of a case result, and this is indeed a serious concern about the system's effectiveness in upholding justice. Although this concern is widely recognized, there seems to be a lack of initiative and lack of proactive efforts to address and rectify it.

Outdated laws and loopholes in laws can be exploited by skilled lawyers, potentially leading to unfair outcomes. The judicial system must constantly evolve to adapt to new challenges, address loopholes, and ensure fair access to justice for all.

This highlights a need for stronger safeguards against manipulation in the legal process.

We Need Reforms In Civil Laws:

We, the people of India, appreciate your efforts in reforming criminal laws. However, we believe it's equally crucial to address the current challenges within our civil justice system. The existing system can be frustratingly slow and inefficient, as evidenced by our own experience. As an example, two of our civil cases have been pending in the civil court in Chandgad, Kolhapur, since April 2022 without a single hearing! If the opposing party neglects to submit the required documents, causing the case to remain unready for years, and the court is powerless to take any action against the responsible party.

There are several strong arguments for reforming civil laws:

1. Reduce delays: Outdated procedures and complex regulations can lead to slow case processing. This creates stress and financial hardship for litigants.

2. Reduce costs: Reforms can make legal services more affordable and accessible.

3. Outdated laws: Certain laws have outdated norms that no longer align with current values.

4. Promote transparency and accountability: To prevent abuse of power and ensure fair treatment for all within the legal system.

5. Incorporate technology: Utilizing online platforms in legal systems and document automation can improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and make legal services more accessible.

6. Public Confidence and Trust: An inefficient and unfair civil justice system can erode public confidence in the legal system and government institutions.

We Need Reforms In the Administrative System:

Please appoint officials solely based on their high education, talent, and responsibility, regardless of their caste or religion. It is essential to comprehensively reform the whole administrative system, including the outdated British-established system. A new India demands a new system.

The need for reforms in an administrative system can arise from various reasons, including:

1. Inefficiency and delays: Processes are very slow, leading to delays in delivering services and resolving issues. This can be frustrating for citizens.

2. Corruption and lack of accountability: Weak transparency can create opportunities for corruption and misuse of power. This undermines public trust towards the administration.

3. Lack of responsiveness and innovation: This can lead to outdated policies and poor service delivery.

4. Lack of skilled and motivated personnel: Inefficient recruitment and training procedures, along with the selection of candidates with low morale.

5. Incorporate technology: Utilizing online platforms in system and document automation can improve efficiency and enhance transparency.

Reforms Required in UPSC and MPSC Selection Processes:

To promote a more diverse and effective public service, we need to re-evaluate the UPSC and MPSC selection procedures. The current UPSC and MPSC selection procedures rely heavily on written exams, which may not accurately assess candidate's skills and suitability for leadership roles.

1. Merit-Based Selection: The emphasis should be on merit-based selection, ensuring that the most qualified and capable individuals are chosen for government positions. Reforms should aim to eliminate any factors that could compromise the meritocracy.

2. Calling for improvements in the civil service recruitment system to enhance its effectiveness in attracting and selecting the most qualified candidates.

3. Suggesting changes to the civil service recruitment system to promote equal opportunity and merit-based selection, instead of reservation basis.

4. Public Accountability: Reforms may be aimed at strengthening the accountability of the official to the broader public.

5. Feedback Mechanism: Impose a feedback mechanism to make all officials responsible for their decisions and actions. Decide the consequences for poor performance based on feedback from citizens - retraining or termination.

Real Examples:

Example 1: Could you imagine that a senior divisional officer is unaware that India has its own constitution and laws? This official issued a judgment on our Undivided Hindu Joint Family land, based on British colonial laws, and now, unbelievably, has declared orders based on essays from Kolhapur Sauntans instead of established legal frameworks. It's truly unbelievable!

While we support the idea of reservation in government jobs for backward classes, however, we suggest restricting it to positions such as peon and clerical roles. Appointing individuals solely based on reservation to crucial positions risks placing less qualified individuals in key roles. How can the general public expect justice when senior officers are not even aware that India has an independent constitution? For the sake of our country, please put an end to this unfair practice.

Example 2: In our Chandgad tahasil, many villages have been inhabited for centuries, but in recent decades, a few educated individuals somehow managed to put their names on our villagers whole farmlands. They are now demanding cash for the land, putting financial strain on poor farmers who struggle to afford even their daily meals and their children's education. This situation raises significant challenges.

The former Kolhapur district collector, Daulat Desai, successfully addressed a similar issue in two villages in our tahasil, demonstrating bold and talented leadership can resolve even decade-old issues. On the contrary, other officials create chaos in the lives of ordinary people. We need systems and procedures that hold officials accountable for their actions.

Example 3: A civil engineering friend of ours frequently shared a story about a reservation incident that occurred in his workplace. At that time, a uneducated person was employed as a senior engineer on an irrigation canal project in Narayangaon by Maharashtra government. That uneducated person was always used to say to our friend in Marathi: "मी डोंबलाचा साहेब, मला लिहायला वाचायला कुठे येतं? मी फक्त तुमच्यापेक्षा जादा पगार घेतो. या कागदावर मला सही कुठे करायची ते सांगा. फक्त सही करण्यापुरतं मी शिकलो आहे. असे असूनही मला नोकरीवरून काढायची कुणाची हिंमत नाही - कारण मी सरकारचा जावई आहे!" अशा सरकारला साष्टांग दंडवत घालण्यापलीकडे आमच्या हातात काहीच नव्हतं! ज्या व्यक्तीला साधं पत्र वाचता येत नव्हते त्याला सरकारने बॉस म्हूणन आमच्या डोक्यावर बसवलं होतं! सिनिअर इंजिनियरच्या पोस्ट वर! आता त्याने कोणत्या क्वालिटीचं काम केलं असेल याची कल्पना न केलेलीच बरी! असे तो मित्र सांगायचा. A few years back, the same individual, who was previously employed as a peon on the same office due to being uneducated, was promoted to the position of senior engineer by the government solely because he belongs to the OBC category. Can you believe it?

Does such a government genuinely prioritize the quality of work? - I doubt it. Do they genuinely care about the welfare of the citizens or the country? - I have doubts.

Once again, our sincere thanks to the respected Home Minister and Prime Minister for effectively governing our country. The selection of Dr. Jayshankar as our Foreign Minister and Mr. Ajit Doval as our National Security Advisor is appreciated.

We express our thanks for the introduction of new laws, the reform in the educational system, the abrogation of Article 370, system reforms, many more online services, farmers welfare schemes, empowerment of the army, and various other initiatives.

Thanks and Regards,

Maharashtra Farmers Against Corruption

चंदगड तहसील नोंदणी कार्यालय, चंदगड, कोल्हापूर, महाराष्ट्र - ४१६५०९.

Chandgad Tehsil Registry Office, Chandgad, Kolhapur, Maharashtra - 416509.