Thursday, November 03, 2011

For Keenan & Reuben

Will the brutal killing of two guys in Mumbai  make us stand up and realize that how weak and indifferent we have become to things that is happening around us?

Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes, the two boys were stabbed to death because they reacted in a way that the majority of us would not. 

Those who killed them have been arrested and I am sure the law, because of the relentless media pressure will surely take its due-course and punish them.

But what about the hundred others who acted deaf and blind when they were being stabbed? 


Look around. On the streets we walk, on the bus we travel or to the railway station that we go. Time present us with  innumerable instance where one or the other 'wrong' is taking place and even after having a realization that a wrong is happening we act as if nothing is happening.

One needs not to be 'Uber righteous' to realize what wrong is happening around. Some wrongs are always wrong whatever our 'perception' or our 'upbringing', unless we are 'honest' hypocrites.

A woman while travelling in the Delhi Metro pleads to a man asking him to vacate the seat that is reserved for ladies. But nothing happens. Absolutely nothing. Her requests are ignored and her voice is also neglected by the other passengers who are travelling in the same coach. Try to remember how many times we have come across such situation. And more importantly what have we done in such a situation. Did we really 'do' something?

Maybe we can shift the blame to our mind,which has made us a habitual 'ignorer'; for we have accepted these incidences as a normal natural phenomenon, something that happens just like the frisking by the CISF guy and the swapping of the metro card at the entrance    

We ignore the slap a poor rickshaw puller receives from a police constable just because he is waiting for passengers at no-parking zone. We look the other way when a girl is being undressed by the stares of the 'men' while she is waiting for bus. And so on. Think of one and suddenly you will realize that you can remember hundreds.

When these two boys in Mumbai were being assaulted in full public view no one stepped in to defend them or ask the other people around them to interfere.  

Those who are questioning the people of Mumbai, should first ask themselves whether have they ever raised their voice when similar incident occurred in front of their eyes? 

About four months back a man in Coiambatore was stabbed to death on a busy traffic square. His assailants stabbed him, smashed his head with a stone,stomped on  life less body and walked away. All this happened when the traffic light was red and numerous bikes and cars were waiting. No one did anything, as all were waiting for the light to go green. This all was recorded on the traffic CCTV camera. 

That man's death too was viewed by hundred eyes, just like in Mumbai.

In 2001, I along with my school mates was involved in a road accident when our car was hit head-on by a truck.

We laid unconsciousness on a busy national highway and no one was stopping to help us. My friend, who was driving the car was still stuck in the car and had slipped into coma. 

We were in that situation for for more than 15 minutes and people and cars were just maneuvering around us and moving ahead.  Then a gentleman who was coming from the opposite side on a motorbike stopped. He waved at a car and shifted my friend who was seriously injured into that car. 

And soon enough we had many helping hands.In less than five minutes we were on our way to different hospitals.

The point is that it only takes one voice of defiance, encouragement and help that makes the difference. 

Those two boys who are now sleeping in peace have probably jolted us enough to introspect into what we have turned into. Are we alive? or we are already dead.


For all of us.

2 comments:

Rajeev Shukla said...

Hi Abhinandan...
I came to know about all this incident via news earlier...Two brave youth fought for the dignity...But this is not a new thing for any of us...This is happening all around us..but we keep on neglecting this...Yahan mahatpurn prasan ye hai hai ki aisa kyu hua? Or kya is hadse se bacha ja sakta tha? Kuch log kahenge ki hain bacha ja sakta tha agar ye larke larai ki suruaat nahi karte to? Samaj ko ganda karne wale logo ko pakarne ke li police hai? Unko police ko inform karna chahiye tha?
Par ye is samasya ka samadhan nahi ho sakta...in dono navjawano ne wahi wahi kiya jo aaj ki jaagruk insaan ko karna chahiye..Annayay ka virodh...
Police ki bhumika to aaj bhi sandeh me hai. unhone aaj tak es sace me wo karwahi nahi ki jo unse apekchit the ya hai..Phir hum police k bharose apne ma behno or dosto ko kaise chor sakte hain?
Ye ghatna jahan ek or do yuva logo ki bahaduri ko dekhatha hai wahi samaj ki us bujdili ko bhi pradarshit karta hai jo aaj bhi badli nahi hai??
Tamasha dekhna..Agar hum kuch badla chahte hai topehle hame apne aap ko badalna hoga...Hum nadlenge jag badlega...

Warsha Mishra said...

Everyday girls are being harassed. The country is full of eve teasers and I,being a girl,can understand the problems that girls face everyday while trying to be independent.And its a real pity that those who are trying to protect us are being beaten up or stabbed to death in front of hundreds of people and no one is doing anything to help them.Have people become so insensitive that even though they can help, they back out?

A salute from me to Keenan and Reuben.Its because of people like them,who don't shy away from standing up against crime even if it costs them their lives, that we still hope for a safe n better future.

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