Do I know whatitees?

...call me an Idiot, or…or…

I SHALL TELL MUMMY!!!

Read it here!! 

NEW DELHI: ‘Idiot’ is a grossly misused word and an oversimplified epithet, if one goes by the Supreme Court’s brand new definition of the term. It is almost impossible for a person to qualify as an idiot, says the Court and therefore, few can expect to get a reprieve for an offence.

To be legally accepted as an ‘idiot’, one has to be so dumb as to be unable to count till 20, list the days of the week, or fail to remember the names of one’s parents, the Court said on Friday.

Under Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code, a person is not liable to be prosecuted if they are of unsound mind, or incapable of comprehending the nature of the criminal act and the fact that it is against the law.

The Supreme Court identified just four kinds of people who could be classified mentally unsound — idiots, the very ill, lunatics and drunks.

“An idiot is one who is of non-sane memory from his birth, by a perpetual infirmity, without lucid intervals: and those are said to be idiots who cannot count 20, or tell the days of the week or who do not know their fathers or mothers or the like,” said the judgement by Justices Arijit Pasayat and M K Sharma. They added that it was for the accused to prove they were idiots or otherwise of unsound mind.

I can count to 20, that too in 4.5 languages. (The .5 is for the Japanese version – i do get confused with the sounds!!)

I can also list the days of the week…although I might end up with more Saturdays and Sundays than any other…but mind you, (menacing finger, and teeth gritting, and eye reddening, and head hurting thinking of all the other angry expressions!!) it does not make me an idiot!

Phmmpff!