..Not Guilty

..Not Guilty

     Huge tall doors make sound, a young man of 32 comes out of a small door carved in the bigger one. None of us need any prompting to help understand what those doors mean. The smart handsome man steps out. Looks back, lifting his chin to see the top of the door, walks silently but in style. A friend, a close relative is waiting for him, he completes his walk, a style statement as well, gives a great hug, eyes shine, tears appear, roll down the chicks. His face exhibits the satisfying, calm look, revealing a sense of relief. The destiny has finally swung in his favour, the truth has prevailed, the man was declared not guilty by the court a day ago and is now a free man. Breathing fresh air, hugging relatives. At home parents wait for him with wet eyes and somewhere in the remote corner two beautiful eyes are killing time with overflow of mixed emotions, every second is worth hundred years, desperate to end the wait which is definitely in sight, the deserted look in the eyes are gone. An atmosphere filled with emotions, sentiments, romance, relief, all the stuff needed to captivate the audience. It could have been a storyline of an Amirkhan movie, perfectly setting the scene for the great flashback, keeping all of us spellbound in the expectation of a interesting unfolding story. But not any more for Mohammad Amir.

      His story also travels along a similar path to an extent... a handsome man of 32, walking free after acquittal by court... but unfortunately follows the trajectory of a tragedy. He is out of the jail but after spending unenviable 14 long years in it, went in at 19 after arrest by police. He is declared not guilty by court but has lost more than count of fourteen years. His father left this mortal world, mother paralyzed, almost all the assets exhausted in trial, and his youth lost in the tall confined walls. As he comes out, he has for his welcome deserted youth, destroyed education, uncertain future and worst a stigma of a traitor that he was forced to adorn for all these 14 years. His father ran a toy business. He was to join the family business. One morning he was on his way to market, a green gypsy moved parallel to him. Before he could understand anything he was picked up by the police. He was arrested as suspect in the serial blast that took place in New Delhi in 1997.

    One Pakistani national was also arrested in the same connection. The chargesheet claimed that he was an LeT operative, he had been to Pakistan for training in arms and ammunition, learned to make and explode bombs and was involved in serial blasts that shook Delhi in 1997. He says he was tortured, beaten up in an isolated cell and finally forced to confess his role in the blast. He admits that he had been to Pakistan for visiting his elder sister who lives in Karachi where he had to prolong his stay for more than a month as he contracted jaundice there. His defense is he went to Pakistan eight to nine months after the blast, making a point as how could he have got training after the blast. All the charges against me are fabricated, false and police have framed me in this case, argues Amir. The court gave verdict in his favour, he now is pronounced innocent but the question is, is the justice done? He spent 14 years in jail, lost all his youth in confinement, today he is innocent but at what cost?

            The financial condition is in shambles, mother in vegetative health what the future holds for him? What are the options left for him?  If he is not guilty then what about those fourteen long years in custody? What is compensation for it or rather can that be compensated? The story of Amir appeared in Indian express almost fifteen days back. In our country of billions one youth with destroyed future is not going to get the headlines but headline or not he has his life ahead of him, a small world cracking under the impact of systemic apathy, his trial hasn’t ended, it simply has began the day verdict was given. All the talk of justice done or denied converges at questions like what’s next? Who is responsible for the punishment he had been through for no crime of his? Who will rise for him? Community leaders, NGOs, humanitarian organizations, but can the govt. escape responsibility? One question leads to another without an answer that can address the woes of Amir.

     The fundamental question is why was he arrested? Was he arrested only because he belonged to a particular community? Whenever there is a terrorist attack all we do is search for the suspects in a particular community. When the pressure mounts on the police the arrests are made and are often done recklessly. The Malegaon and Samzauta Express investigation later revealed that the culprits were different from the initial arrest. To some extent it is understandable that the police search for the suspect in area with high probability but what if the arrests are made under public pressure, just to save skin? All that the society needs is an immediate solution to any investigation, once some people are behind the bar the public outcry stops, the society forgets everything, after fourteen years when somebody like Amir comes out there is no outcry, no sympathy for him. Do we really expect that only his society should stand for him? Is his case a community issue or a humanitarian issue that needs attention of whole society? What about our judicial system that took 14 years for declaration of innocence of a man languishing in jail? He almost has served a term for no fault of his.

     There are some broader concerns about the behavior of society. As a society we tend to victimize a particular community in the wake a blast, an assassination or a terrorist attack. When Indira Gandhi was assassinated there was violence against Sikhs. Hundreds were killed in the riots. When we hear of blast in our first thoughts we try to relate the crime to a community. We tend to believe that all of them are sympathizers of terrorists, a notion politically suitable but detrimental to the social harmony. Terrorists don’t belong to any religion for the bomb that goes off does not differentiate people on the basis of religion, caste, creed; it just destroys everything that falls in its striking range. They are only criminals. Any religious, community labels only generate hatred and it is often counterproductive. It also tends to set dangerous trends, under pressure police tend to make arrests just to cool impatient society. It is always easy, make arrests from a community labeled as compassionate towards the terrorists. Society is not surely going to wait for the final verdict of court. It only is content with the quick fix solution of arrests. The system is aware of this; the reason why men like Amir suffer. It is always easy to support the laws like POTA but when its juggernaut flattens hopes of an innocent to get justice, a ground fertile for the germination of seeds of new breed of terrorists becomes available.

                                                                                            

        We are not the only society that responds like this. After 9/11 even in the developing world the reaction about the Arabs was one of terrorist. Anybody wearing turban was instantly looked with suspicion. In the crisis we respond in different ways. First we try to get closer to the community we belong to. Once safe we search for the people responsible for it. Then the answers are sought in the communities whom those people belong to. It is then followed by hatred and victimization of community. In the process the dreams of men with no privileges are lost without any mention. Since the answers are sought at wrong place we don’t find them, and when the reality points to an uncomfortable zone, planting of stories begin, facts are twisted to suit the political agenda. Minorities start feeling insecure, majorities become belligerent, ultimately opportunists make merry and fabric of social harmony gets damaged. The so called developed world is no exception. The cycle of violence breaks only when a leader with strong will and better vision takes lead.

      Amir’s case is a representative of systemic apathy, societal indifference, political neglect but for an individual it is a matter of life ahead. His arrest must have made headlines but his acquittal did not. A story on the second page is what a fortunate mention he got. Saif’s martial art exploits in a restaurant hit the headlines, the Tv channels were filled with breaking news of the insignificant brawl, allegations and counter allegations just flew around, columns were wasted in print media… simply because we read. The associated glamour blinds us.

Amir … unmentioned, forgotten…left to himself sits in the single room …looks in the dark... for a ray of hope… a thread to a future… safe and satisfying…

Will he ever hit the headline?

** Based on a news in Indian Express dated 8^th February 2012 by Vijaita Singh**

The Hunt

       

The Hunt

     We the Homo sapiens are the most evolved creature on the planet earth. In the process of evolution we travelled from caves to cities, we communicated by gestures then but now on mobile, we moved on foot then whereas now we can plan a journey to different planets in space, we went through cultural fusion, cultural invasion, cultural transformation, different civilizations flourished, some survived, some vanished, some metamorphosed, some remained only in history, some defied timeline and made history. The caveman hunted to survive, with the passage of time he  stopped hunting in open to quell hunger but the initial instincts of hunting remained. Not just dormant but very much alive manifesting itself time and again in the history. The killer remained inside though the target changed, the animal instinct of brute force did not vanish, it just waited for the opportunity which came frequently. Killing for survival to killing for fun this is how we travelled, we killed also to gain, maintain, and establish power. We embarked upon the unending path of inventing arsenals of mass destruction to the extent of endangering our own existence on the planet.

   There also came voices that taught love, affection, equality, we did our best to discredit them, punish them, outcast them but they went on with indomitable spirit. More than two thousand years ago one such human descended on earth. He preached humanity, service as worship of God, prayer to appeal Him to forgive our sins. It was the time when modern concept of humanity was yet to arrive but all the pain, suffering in the sea of humans was very much there. The establishment then saw in him a challenge to their power; they framed him, tried him, and finally crucified him. He died in pain but prayed for the killers that God should forgive them. He invited suffering for the humanity. The hunt began. Anybody who stood for humanity was targeted, anybody who stood for common man was hunted, those who claimed the truth through experiments and observations also met with the same fate as Galileo met.

     The only superpower that exists today was once a nation divided, with a stigma of slavery. Then came one of the greatest presidents of that nation and also one of the tallest world leaders, who was also a leader charismatic. He ended slavery, brought an end to inhuman practice, elevated the nation to high moral ground the legacy which it still falsely claims. He delivered most quoted speech in the history of that country, the Gettysburg address. It claimed the dedication of that country to the principles of nationalism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy. As he sat in a theater he was assassinated. A man, a leader who stood for human spirit was silenced. The hunt was relentless. It claimed another who spoke about elevation of humans to high moral ground.

   The same country witnessed similar assassination of a president who famously said in his speech as to think what you can do for your country and not what the country should do for you. He met with the same end. But there also was a man who derived inspiration from life and teachings of greatest humanitarian of the century who was a half naked frail looking but stubborn man inseparable with truth and nonviolence. He had a dream of the country that rejected disparity, opposed divisive policies based on colour. He fought for the rights of those who were discriminated against by virtue of their colour. He had a dream that one day all men would be equal. He fought with strict adherence to the non violence. The man who made history and would have changed it for better, while standing in a balcony  a bullet pierced through his chick down his spine, the king of human spirit was hunted. Our hunt for better souls claimed one more.

     But at the top of the list sit undisputed, we the people of India who hunted the greatest humanitarian of the century. That great soul evolved from man to mahatma as he fought for our rights in South Africa. He led the nation to freedom through non violent method. Till then the only way known was armed rebellion. He changed it. He believed in change of heart, faith in human spirit, equality of religion, multicultural, plural society, was unconventional in social approach, was eclectic in choosing from the religious texts of all religions, searched for the truth, remained committed to non violence. When our national boundaries were drawn with blood lines he was travelling in area that was burning, full of bloodbath, slaughter….he was not celebrating. He was putting his life to danger to calm people down, to tell that violence, vengeance would lead to nothing; he was ready to stake everything he had moral strength and power of self-suffering just to quell riots.

  He did it. Action in Pakistan and reaction in India saw thousands dead. A mindless mob killing innocents, these killings then driving another mob to seek revenge, to again kill innocents mindlessly, the cycle leads only to destruction, it never acts as a deterrent, it only spreads fear, hatred. The mahatma made the difference, made Hindus and Muslims realize this senseless violence will took then to nowhere. He did it. He stopped riots. His teachings became inspiration for the whole world and what we did, we hunted him. He was moving on to his prayers, a fanatic, driven by false assessment of historical events, pulled the trigger shot dead a man more than seventy five. The hunt claimed the best. We proved that we are the best at such hunt for we claimed the priceless scalp putting us on the top. The great soul who only would have helped the deprived live a better life, who would have strived for the religious equality, who would have fought for the rights of common man was silenced forever.

      Once at the top there was no way we would have turned back. Over the time we did our best to hunt anybody who stood for the common man, deprived lot. A leftist play writer who was using the drama, street play to expose ruling elite, was killed in our capital when he was performing on street. He was attacked, killed brutally. A message was sent to all not to challenge the establishment. A man who believed in people’s awareness through theater and literature was hunted down.

      Not long ago an inspired soul from IIT and an IIM alumnus took the wrong turn. They challenged the mafias, tried to expose the corrupt practices, they became whistleblowers in the national plunder in the road construction and in petroleum industry, silenced forever they were by hired assassins, once again a strong message, don’t ever dare stand against the corrupt, else you are sealing your fate.

     Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King,…. Great leaders, Safdar Hashmi… activist, Manjunath Shanmugam, Satyendranath Dubey … professionals … all were hunted. The list is too long to be published, the data too much to be searched for but the underlining common factor they were for the larger good for the humanity, their historical significance is known but common thread is missed. They were hunted for what they stood for. We are the best here also. Albert Einstein felt that it would be difficult to believe that a man like Gandhi ever lived upon this earth and we continued our hunt by trying to justify the assassination of Mahatma.

     Can an assassination ever be justified? That too of a man who for all his life fought for the common man, stubbornly stuck to the principles of Truth and non violence, believed in equality of all religions, put his life at stake to calm rioting mobs? We all educated, qualified people are bent on believing in perverted history  proposed by those who do not believe in secular India, but are not ready to have a look at the life of Mahatma. We don’t want to have a non political look. We don’t want to learn from the history that Pakistan built on singular religious identity did not progress and in fact Bangla Desh separated, a big blow to two nation theory. We still want to make the killer a hero on facebook? The world salutes him and we mock him. What a pity but he still is a source of inspiration. There still are many who are deriving energy from his life and serving country.

     His assassination in fact proved once and forever that the voice of non violent struggle is most difficult to stifle. The hunt may continue, and I am sure it will but there will always be Ann Sang Sue Kyi leading  a non violent struggle for democracy, Nelson Mandela fighting against the apartheid. ….Martin Luther King will always inspire….. The hunt will continue… the legacy of Mahatma will also live on….and .. yes also the indomitable spirit of non violent struggle for the just cause….and service to humanity….         

      

     

      

           

One Splendid Sun

One Splendid Sun

                 Early morning, reading news paper, relaxing on a chair seeping hot tea in winter is always a great idea. Our mood can swing for positive reading a fascinating story; we can get disturbed by news   of tragedy. The freshness we can draw from this morning ritual does not necessarily sustain but can be of help in gossip, discussion on political issues. Now a day even if the competition between architects of different scams and the investigation is won by thugs we are able to maintain our interest in the news related to corruption. Indeed it is in itself a big thing. Our news papers are overflowing with this plunder of national assets. Add to it the accidents, murders, dowry deaths, honour killings, discrimination it becomes so difficult to find a news motivating, inspiring. Some so called great achievements, to our disappointment later turn out to be manufactured. We in fact are content with the information we get. Even if inspiring news appears it is often lost in the chaos of unpleasant news.

              Yesterday was different, I was reading Lokmat daily. While turning the pages just saw a familiar face of Shri Vasudeorao Chorghade. He is a man of great intellect, has prodigious knowledge of Sanskrit, is well versed in our heritage of repository of spiritual texts. That was the spiritual section like speaking tree. The article was on the sun. It referred to the selfless spirit of the sun as interpreted by great Saint Dnyaneshwar and some other saint poets. It treats it as an entity performing duty every day with no desires, no expectations, returns for the services rendered never sought. It rises every morning, showers its divine light on the earth, gives energy to life, shines for the whole day, does not expect from the smartest creature on the earth any kind of appreciation, starts packing up in the evening, collects all its rays, and recedes slowly only to come back next day for duty. Just work, no aspiration for success, no expectation, no hope, just a responsibility shouldered with unchallenged integrity. Neither optimism of appreciation nor pessimism of neglect, just divine duty, perform and forget. Be at peace at the end and no dip in the zeal next day, comes with new vigor to shower its bounty. What an example of a role model for following the philosophy of Geeta. 

             As said in our philosophy just perform your duty, don’t get obsessed by the desire for outcome. Just do it, be at self tranquility, seek solitude in duty and leave everything to that Divine spirit.  In modern world when all of us are motivated by me and mine, when our world starts and ends at family, when we are accustomed to do everything for something in return which is often disproportionate to our services, when duty without desire is beyond imagination, when selfless service is a utopian notion and service without personal interest is a fool’s compliment, finding an example like this is next to impossible. Why example of the Sun then by saints? Is it the acknowledgement of human limitations that the personal peripheries we draw are impossible to cross? Is it that our worldly desires don’t let us search for the divinity in selfless service? And the truth is that our prayers, appeal to divinity, expectations of divine intervention are all for prosperity of me and mine. Then how we will be able to even touch the boundary of selfless service?

       The reality is that apart from some great souls nobody in this world has succeeded in rendering the service with no self interest, no desire for appreciation. But then what’s the problem in being driven by personal interest, desire to succeed? There is no problem, the difficulty starts when we get obsessed with the coveted success, begin encroaching upon rights of others, focus on end but lose morality of means, the trouble starts when we find it hard to digest the defeat, and when we lose mental peace just to achieve our goal. Can then we achieve our goals without this? May be or May be not but do we find tranquility and peace of mind when we achieve our goal or just feel lonely or just celebrate physically but find ourselves confined to solitude or lose peace for the next goal and fail to live moment of joy? Difficult indeed it is to find a straight question and a simple answer. But I am sure all of you will agree if we truly give our best and can detach from the desire of the outcome, we can enjoy our work, we can find our mind at absolute peace, neither fear of failure nor euphoria of success, and we are full of energy for the next step. Just a little thought on this, it is clear that we have a way but it’s really difficult to walk along, even think of it and my personal experience is, neither I try this out nor I want to try. 

       This philosophical interpretation apart, thinking about the sun is fascinating, inspiring and motivating. Sometimes we get up early morning and just feel boredom, low energy, want to skip the work.  There may be variety of reasons and we are extremely smart in building castles of justification around us when we want to escape the responsibility, I am not an exception. What about the sun, it never stops rising from the east. It is doing this from time immemorial. Relentless in efforts, undamped in spirit. Occasionally there are hurdles, the clouds blocking the sun from showering its energy on earth but it toils for the whole day, at the end stops its work only to resume next morning, to have a go next day, impassive  to the failures of the day. It’s really fascinating to look at it from this perspective.

        It does not differentiate. It does not understand the differences of black and white, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, does not understand what the caste is and has no idea how region and languages generate hatred. We are the most intelligent creatures on this planet may be the reason we are better at differing than seeking convergence at humanity. How funny is it? We always claim of being intelligent but unable to find a common platform of humanity, pain, suffering, sorrow and joy as well. We are at our best in dividing and worst at uniting. The sun knows only one action and that is of delivering service. Whatever may be the identity it will not search for the minute details, and then decide whether to shower that light or not. It just showers and showers tirelessly.

         It is always focused on its work, full of attention, no deviation from line of duty. What we all find hard to do, it does it naturally, without any fuss. For us it is an unending challenge to keep focus, we have more reasons to lose focus than point it on our goal. Obstacles, attractions, personal reasons, interpersonal relations, emotions, hatred, personal ambition, diversions of mind, temptations, lethargy, ….list is big enough. All contribute to the loss of focus but it seems the sun transcends all these human limitations, maintains unbelievable focus,… rises early morning, burns whole day, cools in the evening, gets back only to come back… and resume.

         The sun exemplifies the spirit with which we must approach our life, our goals. But a thought, a little aberration, what if all of us become just like the sun? Everybody focused, no diversions, no temptations, no differentiations, no desire, no expectations…nothing except duty. Won’t the world then be inert? Won’t it lose all the colours we are fascinated with? The fun, the good, the evil all add to the richness of our experiences. Will then all of us become mechanical? No it is not going to happen. Being focused means focused to responsibility and not devoid of emotions, it means emotional weaknesses don’t become impediments, we control our temptations. We are not driven by the obsession of success; we don’t encroach upon rights of others just to succeed.

        The sun only shows us how to detach from the desire, how to maintain peace and tranquility, how to remain focused, how not to differentiate. Understanding the sun, learning from it can only enrich our life. We won’t be losing our colours, we will only be making this world less struggling, less competitive, less discriminatory, more peaceful, more meaningful, full of service to humanity. This is not a sermon, not an advice, not  personal experience, but sharing, sharing of the firm belief that given the dominance of vices in me an attempt to follow even fractionally from the message radiating from the life of the sun can push me on a way that leads to humanity. The world then will always be good to me, complementing in my services and I will be a better human being.

           Next time when we experience heat in the summer and expect it to be little cool which is difficult, when we expect it to be little warm in the winter in the chilling cold which is not easy, don’t blame it, just remember the sun has nothing against us it is only adhering to the responsibility entrusted upon it by mother nature.  Appreciate the splendid sun, learn from it, respect it.