Glorifying rule benders: Stardust clouds Mumbai

Gazing at stars can cause momentary blindness. Mumbaikars, however, seem to have developed an acute case of star-blindness, judging by their fond indulgence towards high-profile run-ins with law.

The wave of public sympathy towards Munnabhai actor Sanjay Dutt, despite his conviction in the 1993 blasts case, or the admiration for Guru, which justifies breaking the law as Gandhi-esque, are only the latest examples in a legacy of glorifying a certain class of rule benders.

Few ordinary citizens can imagine being serenaded with bouquets like Sushmita Sen was on a recent visit to the BMC office after being slapped with a Rs 22 lakh fine for octroi evasion on her Landcruiser. Yet, the civic official’s flowery gesture provoked no brickbats from the public. Sachin Tendulkar too drove off in his flaming red Ferrari leaving the tax evasion row behind.

Similarly, the swooning throng under Salman Khan’s balcony refuses to dwindle despite the American Express Bakery hit-and-run case and his conviction in the blackbuck killing incident.

“We have a culture which breeds icons. And no rules apply to them,” says Radhika Subramaniam, director of Centre for Social and Technological Change. In our skewed social pyramid, the greater brazenness available to the miniscule elite becomes an object of envy for the “unwashed” masses, she adds.

In Guru, the Dhirubhai Ambani-inspired character of Gurukant Desai justifies his actions by stating that Gandhi broke the law to win freedom. Admitting it to be a “strained parallel”, the film’s dialogue writer Vijay Acharya says, “The film reflects a time when laws encumbered economy and bred corruption. Gandhi protested against restrictive policies. So did Guru.” So, do the ends justify the means? Police encounter specialists are deified.

The fact that many of them were paid by rival gangs to eliminate competition does not blot their badges. And while the law caught up with stockbroker Harshad Mehta, the master manipulator is still admired by traders. The alleged coke clan, Salil Chaturvedi (Provogue proprietor), Fardeen Khan and Rahul Mahajan continue to live it up.

However, Gregory Roberts, author of the bestseller Shantaram, points out that it is the public rather than the criminal who glorify law-breaking. Following the success of his novel, the Australian ex-convict has become a prized guest in the exclusive drawing rooms of the city. “Mumbai has always been generous and loving to me,” he says. “India is a more forgiving and understanding society than any other I have known.”

Ironically, the same ‘forgiving’ public is shrill at ensuring that no one breaks the queue at the BEST bus stand. The public, it appears, is with you if you have the means to break the law and get away. Otherwise, you are on your own.