The Justice about Injustice - Aruna Shanbaug and Sohanlal Walmiki

I'm not sure if this is Justice about Injustice or if it is Injustice about Justice ... 

I was surfing channels the other day when I heard this name again “ Aruna Shanbaug” and  I ended up  tuning into a debate on Euthanasia.

Yes, I do have my strong opinion that Euthanasia should be made legal, and a person like Aruna is the most deserving case of humanity through mercy killing. But this is not about Aruna.

This is about Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki. He is the sole reason that a young nurse, has been left to live a life of pain for the last 39 years.  Many would have read about her, for those who have not, this is what happened.

Aruna was 25 year old nurse working at the King Edward hospital in Mumbai. On 29^th November, 1973, while she was changing after her shift, she was sexually assaulted by a ward boy of the same hospital named Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki. He choked her with a dog chain and then proceeded to rape her. On realising that she was in her menstrual cycle, he changed the plan and instead sodomized her. He left her bleeding, after robbing her of her jewellery and watch. She lay there undetected till the early hours of the next morning when the morning shift started.

The asphyxiation cut off oxygen supply to her brain, resulting in brain stem contusion injury and cervical cord injury apart from leaving her cortically blind. She was bereft of the power of speech and expression. She lost the ability to control her muscles, use her limbs and worse, lost her memory. In other words, clinically she became brain dead!. Now Aruna is permanently bed-ridden, curled up in an awkward foetal position for the last 39 years ! !. Her friends approached the Supreme Court of India with an appeal for mercy killing or Euthanasia. The three-member medical committee set up under the Supreme Court's directive, checked upon Aruna and concluded that she met "most of the criteria of being in a permanent vegetative state". But the Supreme Court rejected a plea for Euthanasia, and she continues to EXIST.

Now what about the man who did this to her ?. Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki was sentenced to 7 years in jail. His charges ? Robbery and attempt to murder. The police had registered a case of robbery and attempted murder, and not rape. The case of anal rape was kept concealed under the instructions of the Dean of KEM, Dr. Deshpande.

He walked out of prison and is believed to have started life fresh in some part of the country, with a new identity. Ironically it seems he is a ward boy in some hospital.

Is that the price one pays for putting a hapless victim through endless suffering for the last 39 years? A mere 7 years of state hospitality? Who pays for the sufferings of a young nurse who was to get married soon?

The same law which denied her euthanasia plea, forces her to live through the pain till she dies naturally. The same law also provides for Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki to walk out scot free, after 7 years, get a job and new life and total freedom. Added it has given him complete anonymity. You cannot even trace him down, no images, and no whereabouts whatsoever.

If this is justice, what is termed as injustice?

PS : Sources/credits : Data & Images from google search and other sites. I have consolidated the information, and have tried my best to check its authenticity. But I request the reader to use your best judgement.

An Auto ride in Bangalore- An unusual one

Bangalore is known for its unfriendly and rude auto drivers. I was not expecting anything different that evening, as I was forced to take an auto rickshaw since my car was given on service. It was drizzling a bit and the auto drivers were unrelenting to take me to my destination. Some 10-12 autos later, an auto driver stopped and agreed to take me. Surprisingly he did not even ask for the Rs20 over the meter they usually ask.

A few minutes into the drive, I could sense that the driver is kind of lost. He was wiping his tears probably, I was not sure. He took a wrong turn and I told him that. He came back to his senses and said, sorry. I asked him if he was ok. He didn’t say anything for a while and then told me that he has been running around since early morning and hence was a little tensed up. I asked him what happened! His wife was admitted in the hospital for delivery, and the doctor has asked him to arrange for blood and more money as it would be a caesarian.  He is out to make some extra money than sitting in the hospital. Moreover, his sister, whom he was taking care of even after her marriage, refused to help him financially, even though she had money with her.

I kept listening to him, as he opened up more. His elder daughter was in school, and she studies well. She wants be a doctor. He was afraid, if he would be able to teach her well. His dad died when he was a young boy, and he has been an auto driver ever since. His mom was diagnosed with cancer, and he had to spend all his earnings on her treatment. He had met with an accident few years back and his right leg was shattered. He cannot sit in one place for more than few hours. So driving the auto is also a challenge.

At one stage he asked me, why someone like him is tested every day of his life. I asked him, when he had the accident, did he wish to live or not. He said, every second, I wanted to live as his daughter was waiting for him. I told him that it is the reason he should be happily living. Think of the day, your kid will become a doctor and how would you feel about it. Your second kid, who will be born today, will also make you proud. Is it not enough reason to live? We spoke more and more.

 As I was reaching my home, he turned back and asked me “mai ek gaana gaa saktha hum sir”? I said, “ tumhara auto hai, mast gaao” . He had an amazing voice and he started humming “Mai zindagi ka saath nibhatha chala gaya”. I joined him.

At no point of time he asked me for money or even gave me a hint that he was expecting a favor from me. All he did was talk to me all the way though the 40 minute journey.

As I got down from the auto, I paid him some money. I told him, I don’t know how much is in the meter, and this is not a favor I’m doing. I want you to buy some sweets with the extra money and give it to your daughter, and tell her that she should study well and you will make her a doctor.

He got out of the auto. He was crying. He hugged me and cried more. He said, “Bhai, this is not for the money. Thank You for talking to me. Had I not met you and taken another passenger, I would have probably come under a bus or truck today.  I'm going back to the hospital, Jo Hoga Dekha jaayega”.

So many of my neighbors were staring at me with disbelief ! But I felt at peace and I walked back still humming “ barbaadiyon ka shok manana fizul tha, barbaadiyon ka jashan manatha chala gaya…. Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya “…

sHappy pOnam

The poet who wrote “ Maveli Naadu vaaneedum kaalam, Maanusharellarum onnu Pole”, would not have thought that, his description would come true in today’s Kerala. Surprised ? Look no further, its your friendly neighborhood BEVCO counter. No caste, No creed, No rich-Poor, No matter it rains or shines, No divide what-so-ever. We the proud ‘Prajaas” of Lord Mahabali, wait patiently for our turn obediently. We may fight for a movie ticket; we may even fight at a temple entrance to get in first. But in the Bevco queue, all such egos get subdued. And then they say, mallus are ego-centric??

As we welcome Onam, the common man replaces the O in OCR, OPR and OMR with Onam. Instead of Happy Onam, he finds a kick in wishing each and every one: “ sHappy pOnam” .

This Onam again, the race is not about who does the largest Pookalam. The keenly awaited race is if Chalakudy Bevco would beat Irinjalakuda and Karunagapally to retain the championship for the highest sales in a Bevco counter, and then again, there is nothing official about it.

No matter Spain, which has just about the same population as Kerala won the football world cup, we beat them hands down by gulping in more liquor to celebrate their victory.

Isn’t it surprising that for such an awakened population, who can actively support a hartal in the drop of a hat, we never had a hartal to protest against the innumerable and unjustified hikes in alcohol rates? So what if we cannot have a hartal, we protest by drinking in an additional peg to wash out our ill-feelings about the sadist government. That’s our spirit!

Our per-capita consumption of alcohol is more than 8 liters. Some say, if Kerala was a country, we would figure in the Top-10 drunken countries in the world. Malayalis are fighters, and they very soon will beat the likes of France and Czech to the 1^st place there also.  Which other population contributes 40% of its state revenue by drinking their livers out?

But again, think of this. The poor Malayali has to manage these records by compensating for all the holidays BEVCO has, including 1^st of every month for stock taking, Republic day to Independence Day, The death anniversary and birthday of anyone who was someone and the numerous Hartals which we celebrate as our state festival.

As someone asked, should we not celebrate Independence Day by raising a toast than being made to sit dry? Food or rather Drink for thought may be?

Cheers and Happy Onam to all Malayalis, oh sorry “sHAPPY pONAM”