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.