Jawad Iqbal
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All in all, it amounts to a somewhat bizarre legal battle that’s piqued the interest of millions of ordinary Indians. It is a culinary mystery set in a series of curry houses, ranging from Pakistan to India, with a lengthy cast list of characters, some deceased, and all armed with conflicting accounts of what took place.
The hunt will be on for the crucial witness testimony of someone who can somehow link the butter chicken name to a dish they consumed decades earlier. Other than that, who can categorically state, without fear of contradiction, how the critical ingredients came together, where and when, and under whose expert instructions? Much of it comes down to circumstantial evidence at best. In the end, even the courts might have their work cut out to be sure who gave the world the butter chicken it now loves so much.
The next hearing has been scheduled to take place in May. Given the slow pace of India’s courts, the feuding restaurant families may have to wait some time for a final decision. The legal dispute is serious enough but at the same time faintly ridiculous. It seems just a touch mad to descend to such lengths over who has naming rights to a curry. Even so, the saga has inadvertently highlighted just how many Indians from all walks of life are caught up in – or eager to resort to – litigation, even in the most minor disputes.
India has an estimated 50 million cases pending in the lower courts, highlighting the huge backlog in the system. The backlog has doubled over the past two decades, and at the current pace it would take more than 300 years to clear. There is a shortage of judges, with roughly 20 judges per million of population. Thousands of non-judicial staff positions in the courts remained unfilled, and lengthy delays to court proceedings are a regular occurrence. No one should hold their breath that a verdict in the butter chicken dispute will be handed down any time soon.
Indians have become accustomed to the lengthy wait for justice. It is a little like ordering a curry in a very busy restaurant: it never quite arrives because the place is chronically under-staffed and jam-packed with customers who have been waiting even longer.
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