The judge was in no mood to relent and forced them to take up the second case - Activists not protesting on behalf of insects. He was pleased on three counts. One the previous case had ended well. Two, the hidden mike had given excellent performance. Three, his choice of pro bono, his go to lawyer and his nephew have bonded well and maybe, he could foist many more pro bono works on them!
Overnight, after researching on stray dogs, winged friends and insects, the pro bono lawyers could not find clues that might offer them an insight. In the end, they decided to wing it in the court, during arguments. They knew there would be winged insects too!
Unusually, the judge entered the court along with the counsellors, as if to make sure of their attendance. After seating himself, he started the proceedings for the day. “There are activists holding briefs or placards for stray dogs and winged friends. The question that this PLI raises, is why no such hue and cry on behalf of insects! The judge paused, to take a breath and not for dramatic effect, after summarising the issue. But asked this - Are the "Rights" wrong?", as punch line.
The second chair whispered, " Oh no, not again."
"Your honour, our briefs have outlined the genesis and remedy in respect of the stray dogs and pigeons. In the case of the insects, we stumbled upon a feeble attempt made by an entomologist to show them in good light."
"What light? Then why this apathy?"
"That was before pathologists came
on the scene with microscopic slides to scare everyone with vector and scalar
borne diseases and laid the blame at the feet and injectors of insects, nature
had provided them with. Purely a survival tool for them, your honour."
Your honour was having a tough time to unravel the meaning of vector and scalar (vaguely remembered the terms used in physics and was wondering how physics managed to creep into physiology or is it pathology?).
He almost shouted "Counsellor come to the point. While there, care to explain what vector and scalar are doing there?"
The second chair murmured, "Poor man, drones don't sound like helicopters." After blurting it out he realised he had blooped. The judge did not miss it and patted himself for planting the mike.
“Vector means direction and magnitude and also refers to an insect that can transmit disease causing pathogens.”
Still not clear, the judge asked, " Direction of insect’s flight I can understand but what magnitude they have?
"In numbers, your honour."
"Then why need a scalar?"
"To refer only to the quantity(magnitude).”
This again left the judge teetering on the edge of total confusion, if at all anything like that existed. Veteran of many battles with confusion, he quickly admonished the lawyers to get going.
The duo was very happy, as the proceedings was going as planned by them. They were really winging it now!
As a clincher to their argument, they had already decided to strike at the base human instinct - emotion. Though the dictionary went a little farther by adding a 'complex' factor, but for argument’s sake, they felt their understanding offered good wings to hang on.
The duo alternated in presenting their arguments. “The stray dogs and winged friends have activists who like to play emotional chess. The moves they make are aimed at disarming the emotional guard and strike at the heart to evoke sympathy, for the ostracised stray dogs and avians like pigeons. Win or lose, the activists fold up the boards and go home, letting the human kindness to do the rest.
The case of insects does not appeal to activists, as media glare, under light, will only draw moths. Activists being not sure of moth's vector and scalar characteristics as disease carriers, give the insect species, in toto, a wide berth. It is easy to deal with <400 dog species and <18000 bird species and not so with a mind boggling 5 to 10 million species of insects. Controlling just four of them viz mosquitoes, roaches bedbugs and certain types of termites (wood borers) is a stalled battle still raging on!”
The judge valiantly attempted to stifle a mighty yawn. The second chair whispered into the ears of the first chair, “when we do, it is contempt of court, when he does it? The judge cannot be court-martialed but can he not be marshalled out of the court?" The judge heard this comment and reserved it for use in the judgement.
Feeling a bit under the weather, he coughed and sneezed (effect of smoke and dust inhaled during the last case on “The firecrackers versus bombs - anomaly & double standards”, the judge adjourned the proceedings till next Friday.
The second chair wondered a little louder, " Is he becoming a judge Friday by aping Daniel Defoe’s Man Friday!?” After hearing this comment, the judge hurried in search of a reference to Daniel Defoe, wondering where and which volume of legal publication this Friday will be hiding?
Without any fanfare the next Friday arrived. The judge swept into the court as he had digested a little about vector and scalar from an old Physics book, though it confused him how physics managed to enter and settle down into pathology!
The judge started his pronouncement-
“The clever arguments, borrowing terms from physics to physiology via pathology, comparing drone and a helicopter with respect to the sound they make, not again to emphasise that in the numbers lie the scalar quantity, and finally the act of a Man Friday and not of a judge Friday is required to ignite the minds about the need for fighting against the injustice to the species of insects.....”
The judge droned on and on, uninterrupted even though the second chair was shocked to hear the exact words from his asides to the first chair as part of the judgement. In the meanwhile, the first chair could not contain his admiration for the judge, as he had admirably learnt to “wing it” with unflappable aplomb. The least he could do, without breaking decorum, was to send appreciative glances. That he did. The judge kept wondering, why his go to pro bono lawyer was smiling like a whimsical monkey?
The learned counsellors wanted to withhold certain arguments, by way of a motion in limine, a motion to suppress. The court appreciates their reasoning as they did not want to alienate the activists. But for the sake completing the picture, the court after denying their motion, has this to say.
I quote: “We lament that not even one activist has adopted a stary dog as his or her pet dog but expect the society to deal with it. Our question is to which society he or she belongs? Our lament continues, now with save the pigeon activists, why don’t you offer ways to mitigate the health-related issues before coming in support of pigeons?
In both cases, population control is suggested, yet another active group comes in to defend their right to have progenies.” Quote ends.
Before banging his gavel, the judge concluded: "As only 4 insects in 10 million are affected, the species of insects should be happy in not being subjected to media glare, which could turn out to be injurious to their health. This court feels that these issues need to be handled in such a way that neither the four insects mentioned are targeted or the remaining species are let off, without studying the possibility of a few from that lot might also join the currently targeted mosquitoes, roaches, bedbugs and termites (wood borers).
The judge paused and said, “Don’t say no, no not again. What you two wanted me, to say is it not.” The court is adjourned till hearing the next case, that would be on the next Thursday. As usual, argue the case as you did here- informally and as you too please within limits of legal boundaries."
The stunned second chair sat like a statue wondering.
' How come the judge is able to hear and read my mindful!'. Even winging it on imaginative
words-play, had sapped their energy and they hurried to the nearby cafeteria.
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