The unsung heroes of justice: Why activists keep doing the system’s job |
The decision of the Supreme Court of India to stay the release of the convict in the Unnao rape case, following sustained pressure from women’s rights activists, has been widely welcomed. And rightly so. Any intervention that prevents further injustice matters.
But this moment also demands an uncomfortable recognition: without these unsung heroes, the system would have carried on as planned.
Justice in India does not operate as a default. It operates selectively, activated by visibility, interrupted by protest, and restrained only when power outside the system intervenes.
The real question is not why activists raised their voice. That is their role.
The harder question is: why was their intervention necessary at all?
The proposed release was not an administrative slip. It emerged from a process that unfolded quietly, procedurally, and away from public scrutiny. The system did what it often does—move forward without asking whether justice would be served, only whether formalities had been met.
Had activists not stepped in, the release would likely have proceeded without resistance. That possibility should unsettle us far more than it currently........