The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was once India’s pride — a bold judicial innovation to give the powerless a weapon against the powerful. But today, it has lost its soul. Instead of being a tool of justice, it has become a circus act — hijacked for politics, money, and publicity.
Here’s how it plays out in reality:
1. PILs for Publicity, Not Public Interest
Instead of representing the poor or voiceless, many PILs today chase headlines. Remember the PILs demanding bans on films like Padmaavat or Adipurush? Or petitions filed to stop cricket matches during the pollution season? These cases generate media buzz, not meaningful justice.
2. corporate and Political Weapons
PILs have become handy tools in business rivalries and political battles. For example, PILs have been filed to stall rival infrastructure projects or to embarrass political opponents. These aren’t about citizens — they’re about power games dressed as justice.
3. Frivolous PILs Waste court Time
From petitions seeking a national ban on jeans to demands for “Astrology to be declared a science,” courts are flooded with absurd PILs. Meanwhile, critical issues like bonded labor, farmer rights, and undertrial prisoners rot in silence.
4. Selective Urgency = Selective Justice
Courts often act at lightning speed when PILs align with elite or political interests — like shutting down crackers during diwali or suddenly fast-tracking cases that embarrass governments. But where’s the urgency on cases of custodial deaths, police brutality, or the endless wait for undertrials?
5. Real Issues Hijacked by Fake Concerns
Take the environment. Genuine PILs about toxic air, polluted rivers, or deforestation are often delayed, while flashy “token” cases (like banning firecrackers for a few days) get immediate attention. Citizens get symbolism, not solutions.
The Bitter Truth
PILs in india have gone from Public Interest Litigation to Private / Political Interest Litigation. The judiciary that once promised to be the protector of the powerless now too often entertains clowns, lobbyists, and vested interests — turning justice into a joke.
⚡ When courts entertain the trivial and delay the crucial, justice stops being justice — it becomes performance. And the citizens? They’re left watching the show, without hope.
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