DEEDS OVER WORDS - A POWER PLAY

In the great epic Mahabharatha, there is a besutiful episode of yakshaprashne built into it. This story is used as a mode by the poet to answer several queries and point at several queer aspects of mankind. In one of the questions, Yudhishthira is asked what is the thing that amazes him most. He responds by stating that the mortals grieving over the dead but assuming they themselves are immortal. In another story which is on the lines of a rose by any other name called would remain as sweet, a child which has a peculiar name wishes to change its name. In its search it finds that a deceased person's name is Amar (immortal), a poor girl's name is Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) and so on. All said and done we in the east believe that the end of a person's life is a solemn occasion but at the same time do not grieve extensively since we believe in rebirth and fate. The only form of death that is celebrated is Veera Swarga that is the death attained in a battlefield.

As many of you might be wondering what this musing is all about, yours truly needs to bring the whole thing into perspective. Last week was witness to a historic trial resulting in the death penalty being handed out for a heinous crime. The hon'ble judge may have adhered to the solemn British tradition of breaking the pen on signing the judgement. This is not found worthy of reporting. The trial was parallely conducted by the electronic media which mishandled the 26/11 terror attacks by providing invaluable inputs to these offenders by telecasting the same. They escaped with a small reprimand. These co-offenders who, albeit, unwittingly contibuted for the snuffing out of some valuable lives now resorted to award the penalty a day before. They started a campaign for fast tracking the entire proceedings to the gallows. In the course of reporting, the reporters went on to remark that the accused Kasav sobbed and looked at the floor- an act described to be a drama. What was the media trying to do?

Let us face the truth. The families of the victims could at best feel some justice is done when they find the offender ultimately hanged to death. But let these pretenders not try to hike their TRP ratings by playing on the sentiments of the public. The offender is in his early twenties. He would have relished to see people run helter skelter to avoid his fire. How many persons of that age do not enjoy bullying the others? In fact, we have many adults doing so. This does not condone his act but it is a natural instinct of happiness to see another being afraid of one's own power. The fact that he was nabbed and being the only one to have been nabbed would have unnerved any other person. But the fact that the spotlight was on him and answers to queries were sought from him would have given him a foolhardy egoistic boost. He obviously enjoyed the Jekyll and Hyde act to the hilt going to the extent of claiming that he was a local. The day of the judgement would have pulled the curtains of illusion off him. It would be difficult to digest a question regarding the option of death. We are unable to face uninvited death. Here is a lad who goes through all the trials heroically only to be told that he could be hanged. Death staring in his face more so from an alien could move anyone to tears. This is what has obviously happened. The kudos in this should go to the judge who only described the depravity of his deeds but understood his emotions, permitted him to be taken out of the court room, provided water and brought back to listen to the pronouncement. He went ahead with the sentence which condemned the acts unconditionally and imposed the sternest of punishments but at no time did it offend the sensibilities of any person.

Living in the same country as the respected judge, why do our television reporters and anchors consider themselves as the upholders of all righteousness? Should they not have limited themselves to the professional reporting? They have fallen in the eyes of many once more. We do not expect them to be Christ to pardon the offender. We do not expect them to emulate the aggrived missionary family of Orissa in seeking pardon for the offenders. We do not wish that they emulate Gandhi in providing an equal footing to an adversary. But the least they can do is not stoop to the extent of terming the facing of a death penalty by a 22 year old in a court of law in a foreign country with a few sobs to be theatrics. May we remind them their profession is the fourth estate and would reflect the cultural identity of the country. Let them seek pardon for the offence by not committing any such offence in future.

The question of fast tracking of the sentence should be left to the judiciary. Let us remind them the success of our diplomacy was heightened when we presented the bodies of the soldiers to the other country in a dignified manner. The refusal by them was followed by a dignified burial in our own soil. This act spoke volumes of our ethics and stupefied many countries. As a nation we should represent a single face and not seek to publicise one's own identity.

Let us respect every person's life and death in the same manner. Solemnity of the occasion would drive home the truth. Celebrations of the demise of one could provoke sentiments on the other front. Let us not have a Hiranyakashipu follow a Hirnayaksha. The Asuras though misleadingly get agitated by the celebrations of the Devas on the death of the members of their clan. Enemity was not invited when Vibheeshana was made king instead of celebrating the demise of Ravana. A lesson taught by the epic but not learnt by the Arnabs, Rajdeeps and others of today.