On Thursday, in taking up of suo moto petition when the Supreme Court passed interim order on migrant workers' safe and dignified return to home, there were some strong arguements asserted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was representing the Centre Government.
The Top Court after paying attention to the chaos created due to Migrant's miseries who were stranded and were facing difficulties in trasportation back to home, food shortage, financial crunch and administrative barriers has took the cognizance of the matter.
Many Former Judges, and Senior Advocates, including Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, have been vocal in criticizing the Top Court over lack for its inaction on the migrants issue.
During the hearing, Mehta said representing the Govt that while the Centre is extremely grateful to the Supreme Court, he had a complaint which was imperative to come on record as his submission in capacity as 'an officer of the Court'.
He stressed on the 'mayhem created as a result of misinformation'. Calling those who build these things up as 'Prophets of Doom' he stated that some elements in the country adamentally do that.
He put forward:
"Some isolated, limited instances [of the migrant crisis] are being shown repeatedly. These tend to have a deep impact on the human mind"
He said:
I have something more to say as an officer of the court. Have a complaint. There are some media reports and some people - two complaints I want to register. "There are prophets of doom who keep spreading Misinformation. Not showing courtesy to the Nation."
Adding to the above, Solicitor General emphasised that the Centre was doing its level best to manage this 'unprecedented crisis' but some pessimists are busy in spreading negativity neglecting it all.
He stated that there was a complete lack of acknowledgement of the efforts of the Ministers and officials working day and night by "Arm Chair" intellectuals.
SG Mehta then drew parralel between these 'Prophets of Doom' and the late photographer Kevin Carter who took the famous photo 'The vulture and the little girl' in which he captured a vulture waiting on for a girl to die during his reporting in Sudan at times of 1983 Famine.
He went onto tell:
"... a journalist had asked him - what happened to the child? He said I don't know, I had to return home. Then the reporter asked him - how many vultures were there? He said one. The reporter said - no. There were two. One was holding the camera...."
He urged that the Top Court must not be used for perpetuating 'political agendas'.
He also vehemently argued against the intervenors who have drawn similarities between the ADM Jabalpur incident & the alleged lack of stronghold by the Government & Judiciary, and added that the 'Arm Chair Intellectuals' consider the Court neutral only if it abuses the Executive.
He questioned the integerity of such people and argued before the bench comprising of Justice Ashok Bhushan, Justice S K Kaul and Justice M R Shah:
"Those who come before your Lordships, let them establish their credentials. They earn in crores. Have they spent a penny? People are feeding people on the streets. Had any of them cared to come out of their AC offices?The question to ask is, What have they contributed? Your lordships must ask them to file an affidavit on their contribution? Except for writing on social media, penning articles, giving interviews? People are working tirelessly. From the safai karam charis to the PM"
Subsequently, when Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal began arguing, Solicitor General interjected and prayed that the Humanitarian Crisis not be used for 'Political agenda's'.
Sibal then asked him to not to make it personal and revealed his contribution when asked by SG.
Mr. Mehta also laid the fact that 'local instigation' has led to the migrants' walk in many cases.
"In many cases there is local level instigation which is encouraging people to start walking. Those who started walking, when the state found them, the bus goes to them immediately and takes them to the nearest railway station."
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