theleaflet

From President K.R. Narayanan being labelled an “untouchable” in Paris in 2000 to Mallikarjun Kharge facing humiliation because of “purification” of the venue of his rally in 2026, the silence on caste humiliation exposes how far India remains from honouring Article 17 and the social revolution the Constitution promised.

The victims of the 2024 Bangladesh violence deserve genuine accountability. But the proceedings against Sheikh Hasina raise cumulative concerns about the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal’s constitutional foundation, judicial independence, evidentiary scrutiny and appellate safeguards. India must note that its refusal to extradite need not mean abandonment of accountability.

A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant declined to disturb the core reasoning of its May 2025 ruling on judicial recruitment, but eased the practice requirement from three years to one, layering in institutional training and structured clerkship.

The panel, headed by former Supreme Court judge R. Subhash Reddy, will examine allegations ranging from the use of pellet guns and lathi charges to surveillance and violence against female protesters, alongside counter-allegations of property damage and injuries to police personnel.

Despite research showing that women’s complaints under the Domestic Violence Act are overwhelmingly genuine, courts and lawmakers continue to entertain claims of ‘misuse’ while the law itself remains starved of the sensitisation, procedure, and political will needed to make it work.