House of Experts Ep9: Vibha Kagzi in Conversation with Abha Singh
Vibha Kagzi, the host, is the Founder and CEO of ReachIvy.com, a premium study abroad and career consultancy organization. Vibha, a Harvard alumna, is a successful entrepreneur herself and believes in helping others chalk out their future careers. In Episode 9 of House of Experts, we were fortunate to host the renowned High Court Advocate, former civil servant and bureaucrat- Abha Singh. She started her career as a Customs Appraiser in Bombay Custom House from 1991-94, followed by an illustrious career in the Postal Service from 1995 to 2012. Deeply passionate to fight the existing socio-economic issues of society, she gave up her successful bureaucratic career in the Government and donned the robes of the legal profession. She also founded the Rann Samar Foundation. The Foundation works primarily in rural areas as 75% of India’s population resides in rural belts. Her NGO is passionate about providing vocational skills to women and girls for financial inclusion.
Excerpts from the Live Interaction between Vibha Kagzi and Abha Singh
1.Can you take us through your academic journey and the point at which you decided to become a lawyer?
In my generation, it was a time when for a girl, marriage came first and education was secondary. Fortunately, my parents were in the services and they wanted us to be educated. Education is the vehicle for change. I was a very good student- articulate and happy go lucky. I did my Master’s in political science and that’s why my interest in the country’s affairs is very important. Then I went to JNU for International Relations and from there I came to Maharashtra. After 2-3 years of being a housewife, I decided to appear for the civil service exams (link MPP page) which I cleared and became a custom officer in Mumbai. Gradually, the transition to law took place. I felt that being tied to the government meant a lot of rules and regulations. bureaucracy in India is a lot about your contacts and network. So, I decided to jump into the social field. When my husband was fighting his own case following an unjustified transfer, I realised the strength that the black gown gives. It empowers you to fight against injustice. We attended classes at Mumbai University and completed a law degree.
2.How did you derive the courage and prepare for a high profile case such as the Salman Khan hit and run case?
It was the first case of my career. It involved going through a lot of documents and files to prepare. It was hard work, but a lot of inconsistencies and facts came out. Mumbai Police said that among the 60-70 witnesses, none were willing to come forward. This case exposed the system in terms of the pain points in witness protection and influence of the powerful. According to statistics that followed, drunk driving incidents in the country fell due to the mass awareness.
3.Are female lawyers and clients at a disadvantage in the legal system?
I am lucky to be in a state like Maharashtra. In some other states, people may be aghast at a woman taking up a role in a male-dominated field. On the other hand, for a woman fighting a case, they are at a loss due to the fact that in cases of divorce or domestic violence, women do not have the financial capacity. Beyond that, there is a lot of corruption in the system. A case may not be filed in the first place on account of pending investigation, so the courts don’t come into the picture at all.
4.What do you like and dislike most about being a lawyer?
What I love is that you get instance justice if you win a case. You could fight it out, get justice and see a smile on your client’s face. I like the process which allows me to raise my voice and bring up an issue to be discussed in the first place. What I don’t like is the time it takes to get a case moving. Sometimes, the arguments can also get very personal and nasty. On the whole, however, the court and the judge do listen and law is a good profession.
As Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.” This beautifully sums up what Abha Singh had to say about the Indian legal system and the challenges faced by a lawyer. To watch the full conversation, click here.
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