The NUJS as I saw it

The NUJS as I saw it
The 'Pillar' of Justice

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Why 'Legally Kidding'

Since the day I graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, I kept cherishing the idea of writing a letter to my University thanking it for all that it gave me, and surely too, for all that it took from me. But, not so late in the day, a brahminical idea dawned upon my puny and incapable self - writing a fiction based on my days at law school. Oh.. wait.. wait... its not that I am a prolific writer and that I ever did it for the money that bestsellers fetch these days. And for all my cynical readers (and I hope, I have many), this blog's a proof of my pious and metaphysical bent of mind!!!!

This forum wishes to present to you a purely fictional story, set in the background of my law school. Don't worry.. I wouldn't hurl upon you a volumnious book at one go. Com'mon, even I need the time to keep writing the script for the following sequels!!!! A good freind of mine once quoted a celebrated author.. he said something to the effect that 'writing a book is much like delivering a baby... fun to concieve but equally painful to deliver'. I can just hope (against hope) that I'll succeed in finishing my novel. In case I do, I would perhaps boast of having saluted my alma mater in a way, not may people are lucky to do.

For start-ups, here's what my creation wishes to give to its readers.


Ever since the inception of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, in 1987, legal education in India has witnessed a rapid metamorphosis. The founding of the Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad and the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata in 1998 and 1999 respectively, have only gone ahead to introduce law as a refreshing career option for students all across the country. So much so, that these autonomous universities are commonly called the ‘law schools’, with more to be added to the list in the near and distant future.

Having graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences (in short, NUJS) in 2007, the author was a witness to a unique ‘law school culture’ during the span of five years he spent in Kolkata. In this span, he saw unparalleled academic excellence by some, international recognition to many and a marvelous environment of legal training, unexpected of any other university in the country. The laurels achieved by the university in its short history remains a feat unmatched by most law colleges, Indian and foreign alike. Besides, interesting observations of the lives of faculty members and students coupled with the unique environs surrounding the law school was perhaps too fascinating to be penned down in the form of a novel.

However, given the apparent fame of law schools and the opportunities they seem to bestow upon the students, there is a completely different paradigm to the story, a paradigm which often remains unnoticed unless spelt out candidly and criticized constructively. A bitter truth lies behind the dazzling glory of these institutions. The system can be brutal at times and subjects of such brutality remain anonymous only to be identified years after one realizes the futility of everything that the system had to offer.

The account primarily revolves around the tale of a boy, named Atul, hailing from Deoghar, a small town in Jharkhand, who joins NUJS only to finally rebel against the elitism that permeates the law school culture. Atul encapsulates a typical prototype that is churned out by law schools year after year, which are distinguished only by the transmutation of simple and nondescript guys into complex entities bogged down by shades of incomprehensible attributes.

The novel will not be a stereotype, neither will it offer a sensational climax. But it shall certainly be an interesting story of Atul, who joined law school never willing to severe his roots to acclimatize to the cultural shift. Not to mention, he did try to bring himself upto the high standards set by the system, only to make a graceful exit when failure was at a striking distance. Poor academics and hopeless extra-curriculars could only add to his woes, which he quite successfully camouflaged in his apparent inclination for active politics. And with law schools offering but a little scope to excel in this area of his interest, he could only salvage his esteem by having a close group of fellowers, the author being one of them. A character of self-contradictions, Atul did get some spice in his life when cupid struck chance upon him, only to take it away in the guise of unforeseen tragedies.

Besides narrating the character and the story that unfolds the life of Atul in NUJS, the novel also seeks to reflect few other aspects, perhaps typical to a law school. The immensely gorgeous ladies and their activities, the trendy guys and their courtships in campus, the election days and the political battles that take place annually – everything seek to depict a typical life at law school, and possibly the hypocrisy that surrounds it. The recruitment process and internship programs that form part of a life at law school, shall find a special mention in the account, reflecting the various dynamics that go on to make law schools much sought after by every law aspirant of today.

In a way, the novel shall seek to be a sarcasm on law schools, a sarcasm on what it has to offer and a sarcasm on what it entails. Based on various aspects of life at a law school in general, and NUJS in particular, it traverses the self inflicted ordeal that Atul set for himself struggling to make his presence conspicuous in the myriads of hypocritical dogmas encapsulating him. A little introspection would only reveal that the story of Atul is nothing but a common story of a common guy finding himself stuck in uncommon surroundings. The protagonist in the tale is not standalone. He is to be found in every product of every law school.