Apaddharma is the law for times of distress. A section of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata is devoted to it. In one of its stories, the sage Vishvamitra takes a haunch of dog’s meat from a Chandala, an outcaste. The Chandala objects: “He who would regard dog’s meat as clean food, I think, would in matters of food abstain from nothing!”
Vishvamitra answers: “When one’s life, however, is in danger there is no sin in accepting such a present or eating such food.”
In the Shalya Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhima fights Duryodhana with maces. Krishna tells Arjuna: “If he were to fight fairly, Bhimasena will never succeed in winning the victory.” Arjuna strikes his own left thigh where Bhima can see it. Bhima then strikes Duryodhana on the thighs.
Krishna’s brother Balarama is enraged: “No limb below the navel should be struck. This is the precept laid down in treatises!” Krishna answers that Bhima had vowed to break those thighs, and that a sage had once cursed Duryodhana to the same end. “The accomplishment of one’s vow is one’s duty.”
On July 31, 2011, during the Test between England and India at Trent Bridge, Ian Bell was run out on the last ball before tea. He had left his crease, and “wandered up the pitch to congratulate his team-mate and head off for tea,” Wisden reported. Under the Laws of cricket, he was out.
During the interval England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, and coach, Andy Flower, visited India’s dressing room. India’s captain, M.S. Dhoni, withdrew the appeal. “When play restarted after tea, a few minutes late, it was Bell who jogged down the steps.” The ICC later gave Dhoni its Spirit of Cricket award.
Rule 6 of the Posts and Telegraphs (Linemen/Sub-Inspectors/Line Inspectors) Recruitment Rules of 1969 is titled “Power to relax.” It reads: “Where the Central Government is of opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by order, for reasons to be recorded in writing, relax any of the provisions of these rules with respect to any class or category of persons/post.”
The same clause appears, almost word for word, in rules of 2019 for the National Financial Reporting Authority.
In 2017 the Indian government required taxpayers to link their PAN, the tax identity number, with Aadhaar, the national identity number. The deadlines in 2017 were July 31, August 31 and December 31. Then came March 31, 2018, and more dates after it. In 2021 the fact-checking site BoomLive called the latest move “the 11th such extension.”
In March 2023 the deadline moved once more, from March 31 to June 30, 2023. From July 1, 2023, the PAN of a taxpayer who had not linked it was to become inoperative.
Tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh, tareekh pe tareekh milti rahi hai, My Lord, lekin insaaf nahin mila. Date after date, date after date, date after date we were given, My Lord, but no justice. Sunny Deol says it as a lawyer in the courtroom scene of Damini (1993), directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.
Since July 2002, the Code of Civil Procedure has limited adjournments to three for each party during the hearing of a suit. The same rule, Order XVII, Rule 1, lets the court grant time “if sufficient cause is shown.”
Article 142 of the Constitution of India gives the Supreme Court a power of its own. The court “may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.” Such an order “shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India.”
Chalta hai. It goes. It will do. Said of a half-baked solution that is accepted anyway.
Chaltaa kaam. A makeshift or temporary arrangement, according to the Rekhta dictionary.
Zara add-just karo. Adjust a little. A columnist in The Week described the habit of adjusting as “our accommodative spirit towards a less-than-perfect solution.”