The Rule and Its Application
“Justice in Diversity: A Reflection on Law and Compassion in a Vibrant Indian Setting.”
A learned professor lectured in a seminar, “Law must be applied to everybody equally. That is democracy.”
“No, sit. Law should be applied to everybody equally in spirit, but the punishment awarded should differ from person to person,” said a listener.
“How do you say so?” demanded several voices.
The listener replied, “The people of a certain city used to dress in various ways, some of which were offensive to visitors from other cities. The king made a rule that every citizen, while walking on the streets, should have clothing covering both the lower and upper parts of the body.
One day, the king’s sepoys arrested three travelers and brought them before the king. All three were walking with hardly any clothes on. But the king sent one of them to jail for a day; the second person was warned to dress properly, whereas the third person was given a shawl and food. Was the king’s action unjust?”
“It was unjust,” said several people in unison.
The listener smiled. He then said, “The first person was a normal citizen; the second person was a villager who had come to the town for the first time and did not know anything about the rule. The third person was a hermit who did not belong to society. Tell me once again, was the king wrong?”
All sat in silence. The professor stood up and said, “No, the king was right.”