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” 

Me and Time

The Alarm rang again... I need a way to permanently shut him down.... for ever ,I mean.

I never wore a watch, cos it reminds me of time. Nor did i ever keep a clock at home. I never liked time anyways. I would wake up when i woke up and sleep when i slept.

Why is my life time bound I thought. I slept late everyday, a late night movie after my daily quota of whiskey or whiskeys on the rocks.
The party went for long . Dont remember who dropped me, but someone would have. They had to be back in time, unlike me. Who ever dropped me, I thank you .
Oh yes, yeah,,, I do work .

I chase time lines, or do time lines chase me? I'm not sure.

Now, , Im waking up ............cos the alarm is still ringing.

One of those days

Then there are those days, when you start off in the worst possible way possible. When things looks the worst and the day looks bleak. You desperately want to get out in the open , wish the wind blows the freshness on your face and you be with the one you want to be with...

Few days happen that way. They normally start bad and end bad. And then you try to crash into the bed cursing yourself on an absolute screwed up day.

What can you say of a day that started bad, and absolutely miserable as today , and ended up being one of the days you want to remember for a long long time.

I had such a day, and as of now i'm enjoying the savories, i know how lucky I am.

Let me crash into the bed with a smile :)

Humiliation: The Teachers way: Why do they do this?

I was driving the other day through outskirts of Bangalore. I happened to see a school, a very mediocre one, compared to the high end Bangalore schools. In the verandah I saw a kid, kneeling on the ground. He for sure was ousted from the class and made to stand out, probably a punishment for a “gross crime” he has committed. I could not stand the sight and felt really furious. The thought of a tiny kid being humiliated in front of a whole school and passing public made me very restless.

I was an average kid all through my childhood. Schooling wasn’t something I liked, though I never hated it. That was till my 4^th standard. I don’t remember what was the sin I did, but for some apparent reason I was punished and then taken to the headmistress (HM) one day. I remember panicking as I was being made to walk like a criminal to the judge. I was caned by the HM and then I was taken back to the class. The whole of that day I was made to stand outside my class room. I would sit down when my legs would tire, and when I heard the teacher or any passerby coming close, I would stand up again. I do remember having wept a lot that day.

The next day I went inside my class and sat as usual. The teacher came during the second period, and seeing me in the class got infuriated. She took me to the HM again, and this time I was made to stand outside the HM’s room. Three humiliating days were to follow. I stood there the whole day, and had to go in and ask permission to go to the loo during the break. She would nod, not even looking up at me. Other kids would walk past and laugh at me standing there, few made fun of me, and few sympathized with me. But I was a laughing stock for all to see. Some parents who came into the school would come and ask me what happened, and I would sob seeing them. By evening, I felt like garbage, not even wanting to go back home.

I did not know what to do the next day, so I went kept the bag in the class and went to the staff room to ask my teacher. Thinking of it now, I feel, she thought I was sarcastic or maybe I was showing attitude, what ever it may be, she got furious and asked me to stand in front of the HM’s room. Surprisingly, I did not feel bad, nor did I cry. I remember telling one senior that, I have been made the watchman for the HM. I would see kids being brought in like sheep to the butcher. There was fear in their eyes as they would go in, then they would be caned and they would go out crying. We would exchange looks as if to say, I understand buddy!! Later that day, a senior came with a box of sweets. She distributed it inside the office and then gave to HM. On the way out, she came to me, and offered me one. I heard the HM shouting from inside, “not to him”. I was a culprit who wasn’t eligible for any pleasures. I had started hating the HM and the school as such by then. There was some rage inside me that was burning.

Day Three, I didn’t even go to the class. I don’t know what had transpired in me, but I went straight to the HM’s room and stood outside with my bag kept beside me. I started wishing all the teachers who would pass by with a smile. I sat there and ate my lunch. During the break I would have kids around me, watching me, as if I was a joker out of a circus tent. I wished I could vanish. I wished I fell so ill that someone would take me away and I could hide. Nothing happened. I was humiliated more and felt more depressed.

Though I changed to a new school next year, those four days had a major impact on me. I fell so low on my self confidence. I did not want to go to school anymore. I didn’t want to see any of my friends. I stopped looking at schoolmates, was worried that they may be laughing at me. I started running away from everything.

This may have happened to many, and so many would have brushed it aside and not let it affect them. But it affected me to no ends, and continued harassing me till my tenth, when I finally could move on.

I still don’t know what they were trying to achieve by doing that to me. Whatever it was, all they managed to do ,was to kill the self respect of a student and make him feel rotten. I have never been able to pardon them for what they have done to me, and I won’t ever. I hate them from the core of my heart and wish no kid goes through this again.

Its a good day

When the sun is up,

As the day gets bright

So am I up

In all my might

Its easy to give up

Its easy to lose it

But, I'm a fighter

And I cant lose it

All I need is you

To hold me to you

When I reach there

I won’t be alone

You’ll take me there

As with me, you have flown

As I wish myself a good day

I know its going to be our day.