There is an old fable of a deer which lost its young one through a disease. All the animals of the forest got together to console the grieving mother deer and shared their sympathies for a short while.Later, it was back to business for all the entities involved. Some animals started feeling the pangs of hunger, some were distracted by the other happenings of the forest and the rest just moved on with their own lives.The grief of the wailing mother deer had to be shared for a few moments and that had been done. Nobody expected the other animals to stay put there forever, it was left to the family of the deceased deer to fend for themselves after the brief niceties shown by the rest.
This fable is quite similar to the massive protests happening in the state over the mysterious death of the accomplished IAS officer D K Ravi. The national media is up in arms against the politicians and the state government, the masses are in a state of disbelief over the way the case is being handled, the whole Karnataka state is in a mood of protest and the anger all across is palpable. What is gratifying is that our people have at least spoken out against the injustice happening right in front of their eyes. They are not willing to sit inside the cozy confines of their homes waiting for some saviour to take up the case and demand justice.In a way, it suggests that the new generation is not afraid of taking on the might of the political class despite the threat that they face and the proliferation of social media has played a defining role in this change of mindset.
The role being played by the media is also laudable for they are giving a voice to the voiceless, a platform from which the hopes and aspirations of the general public are being honed. Some of the debates that have happened have pushed more people to demand plausible answers from the ruling class. The way in which some of the debates, spearheaded by popular anchors on national television have formed defining opinions about the issue is commendable. But the question to be asked is for how long will this sustain? It is in this context that the moral of the fable comes into the picture. The media is creating a big ruckus out of the issue and it is highly justified too, but as is well known, public memory is short and in a few days, a new burning or breaking news would arrive which would naturally take away the spotlight from this issue. Whatever be the reason, the media runs behind TRP's! So, all this ranting about justice, about a fair and impartial probe, about truth and honesty will be pushed to the back burner once a more juicy story comes along. After a few days, it would be business as usual for us too and we too will move on to other things. What happens to the justice for the officer? Well, if it is delivered soon, good for him, if not, his bad luck!
This story will be replayed again a dozen times when a similar tale unfolds in some other part of the country and then the demand for justice will resurface, albeit for a short time before it is forgotten yet again! While it is heartening to see the entire state being one with the aggrieved family in their time of distress, what would really do the nation a world of good is to maintain a sustained battle for justice till it is delivered. The state government knows the tricks of the trade and is therefore buying time playing delaying politics in the hope that the issue would cool down and the angry masses would soon find other more important things to bother about than this one, just like the animals of the forest. Our defeat lies exactly there! The moment we relax our feet from the accelerator pedal is when our road to defeat begins. Only by closing all escape routes and by tightening the noose can the guilty be brought to justice and that in turn will send out the strongest message to those who try to mess with the system.
Honesty and standing up for what you believe in is a difficult proposition in today's world. As Abraham Lincoln once remarked: "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have." , a few people do stand up for their values and principles and when they do so, they are most likely to find the vast majority against them for honesty is a virtue despised, rather than praised.It seems all hunky dory when we see words of appreciation once in while about acts of honesty,courage or truthfulness, but they are never easy to practice! More importantly, when we see the ends that some of these virtuous people meet following the noble path, it makes us wonder whether that is the right path to be followed, for the encomiums will soon be replaced by ignorance and negligence.
There are three options for the young and expectant generation in this murky scenario:
1.Go with the wind, make money and get comforts through illicit means keeping the others in that path happy.
2.Feign ignorance of the things going on around you,live in your cocoon and turn a blind eye about the corrupt practices or the unjust means of making money.
3.Stand strong against the current,put your hands up for honesty and work on genuinely improving the system and you are most likely to meet the mysterious end like D K Ravi. A few men of integrity do survive, but they are 'few'.
There are many others who start with option three, only to digress and divert to the first two, unable to handle the pestering nature and the pressures of the system. You would have witnessed the problems that many civil servants face by the frequent transfers, threats by various politicos and mafias. There are many more serious issues, but the point is that this is not the India that a young generation envisages, where being honest and just is looked at as a crime and plots are hatched to exterminate or at least threaten them. When protection cannot be given to those who stand for option three, when justice cannot be meted out to those who deserve it, when a few brave hearts have to pay the price for trying to clear the turbid waters, that is when we have failed the honest! That is exactly when we have let go of lotuses who bloom divinely even in the grimy ponds. A few upright men alone cannot change the system, but when the rest of us too join in their efforts to shake up the system, this collective effort can certainly pay dividends, for a single man taking on the mighty and succeeding is only possible in the movies,not in reality. One man's sacrifice will go in vain if proper justice is not delivered to him or his family.But just think of the spin off effect if the nation unites and fights for what is right, just imagine the impact it would have on young, talented minds with fire in their belly and light in their eyes, how wonderful to see a chill running down the spine of the iniquitous!
If the current trend continues,it is imperative that the youth of the country will lose their trust and hope in the progress of the nation.Their beliefs and aspirations of doing something good to their motherland will be blown to smithereens. If we rove our eyes around on other issues too, the very same problems are found. There was a hue and cry coupled with widespread protests after the Nirbhaya rape, but even today rapes continue unabated. It is hard to turn the pages of a newspaper without looking into a rape incident in some part of the country almost everyday. What does this suggest? Mere protests are neither going to take us anywhere, nor will they have any impact on the crooked section of the society.In the documentary that was released some weeks ago about the Nirbhaya incident, one of the rapist shamelessly justifies his horrific crime without any glint of remorse. How do we rein in these horrendous people? Protests along with a strong sense of fear of the law and a shift in the mindset can certainly help in curbing these crimes. When it is so easy to get off the hook in the eyes of the law, there is no fear of punishment and people get the licence to go ahead!
Our democracy too has become more of a reactive, than a pro active one.The media, the government, we included have become more prone to react after some gruesome injustice happens rather than being proactive and preventing the happening in the first place. The one standard reaction after a rape or terror attack is to talk of installing CCTV cameras. What is the use of these cameras if we cannot prevent the incident, and can only look for proof after it has happened. Talking of proof, it is another matter that it takes an extensive time to even catch hold of the offenders.There can be some perceptible change only when the focus shifts more towards prevention rather than cure.
The stakes are simply too high now. We have endured nonsense for too long, we have been the victims of injustice for too often, we have been taken for a glorious ride on too many occasions, we have been silent spectators for too long, we have wasted plenty of resources and good intentions for too long. Now is THE TIME, now is the OCCASION for us to declare that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. It is high time that we change ourselves and take a more active part in the functioning of our democracy, a more vigorous part in encouraging the honest and protecting the innocent. Rather than being agitated for a few days and going back to our own world later, it is time to maintain sustained pressure and be watchdogs so that the immoral,the corrupt think a ten times before making one move. This might seem impractical, laughable or scorn worthy, but that is the only choice left for us and if we do not awake even now, we will have to repent for our actions when we are subjected to the same ordeal that a few brave people faced and at that time, the only line that will stand before our eyes is "We failed the honest,We failed to do what was right"!
I will end this article with a stirring piece by Kent M Keith:
"If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.Be honest and frank anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.Build anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.Give the world the best you have anyway.”
Superb article written with an apt title..
ReplyDeleteRightly discussed by you “turning a blind eye to other people's suffering is not the solution to fix the corruption crisis.” Being compassionate and feeling of solidarity is the need of the hour.
The cases of suspicious deaths of bureaucrats show the shambolic situation of law and order. Thus, the dilapidated justice system needs to be reformed.
Media is one of the pre-requisites of a democracy. It serves as a link between the government and the people’s problems, grievances, hopes and aspirations. Media must recognize its social onus and thereby create awareness, mobilize opinions and conscientize the public..
Honesty can prevail only when people will raise voice against injustice and crime until justice is awarded to the victims.. You have a wonderful thought process along with flawless use of words makes your work a masterpiece.. I enjoyed reading your article. Continue writing!