ASS – Movement

Readers may get the impression that it is a donkey’s movement. It is far from that. ASS stands for ‘Anti-Simplification of Statutes’. It is a great movement in the national interest.

There was a country where all laws were very complicated. Certain anti-social elements were pressurising the King to simplify the laws. The King directed his Minister to appoint various committees from time to time to look into the matter.

The Minister after a study over ten to twenty years, prepared a Bill to simplify a particular law relating to revenues. There was a big hue and cry in all circles, even before reading the contents of the Bill. Many could not even digest the idea of simplification.

Certain groups in the kingdom who were like opposition parties and not in favour of the King resisted it vehemently. They felt that it was their duty to protest any proposal made by the King without even knowing what it contained. Many didn’t know what and why they were resisting. There was a huge discontent in many quarters. Therefore, the King appointed 3 special judges to hear the representations of different groups.

Bureaucrats who were asked to draft the simplified law felt that it was unethical to do so. Their thinking was that any law has to be complicated. If a common man knows the law, he may commit lesser d