Weekend Seminar

"Seminar on ancient and modern legal system in India" may sound dry, but thats how I spent the last weekend, a really nice one in a long long time... Well, it was actually organised by my family and I decided to go because the guest list was truly intimidating and I couldnt believe that so many distinguished men of such intellectual caliber and academic stature could be gathered in one room.

With every person who arrived, I just couldn't contain my awe and excitement. These were men I used to always read about and admire and longed to be like them. I know I sound like a kid, but I cant help  it...Take a peek at this pic of  moderators:) I had to pinch myself to be sure I wasnt dreaming, really :) Its unbelievable - how humble they are in person given how much they've achieved.

Of course, my role in the seminar was limited to dressing up and smiling at everyone and I took notes, which made everyone think that I was a journalist, but whatever..

I became happier with every session....I love it when people talk sense and to the point, and when it is interspersed with good humor...well !!!......and of course lots of things to think about...for instance,

- Why are courts called courts of law and not courts of justice?Food for thought....

- All crime has any of these 3 causes - fight for a woman/ man, revenge, money.

- Lots of random interesting facts - for instance, in the ancient Indian law system, we have 12 types of sons, but in the modern system, we have only 2...and stuff like that which showed how thinking has changed....
- When a person becomes a  sanyasi (monk) officially, he is considered dead according to law. Though the lawmakers must have their reasons, I think thats messed up.
- And I also got to witness really heated debates, but conducted in a most gentlemanly and becoming manner..and picked up lots of lessons on how to put things across...for instance, one of the judges said "You say I am confusing?"...and pat came the reply from the other judge " I didnt say you are confusing, I said we are getting confused"...

Really nice, I tell you,...

And oh, the scholars of law, we had so many from different universities...and the level of discussion was truly commendable...it was clear that most of the people there had spent a lot of time thinking about things other than the mundane,.....oh and no clichés , no old chestnut jokes or platitudes...it was a welcome change :)

I could write pages about all I learnt, but I'll spare you :) All in all, well-spent two days...I really needed it...it was comforting, in a way...