The Solidarity

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible – The 14th Dalai Lama

Hello friends, on 13th November the world observed the The World Kindness Day. I meant to write this post on that day but as I told you earlier about my sudden indisposition, so was unable to do it then. But the subject matter is so close to my heart that I decided to write something about it.

Kindness is that emotion which is almost universal in every human heart, but the degree of Its application vary from person to person. There is indeed a perceptive change in human behavior after the ravazing of the pandemic. The indifference of the people is now replaced by a prompt responsiveness, if they are called to action on seeing people in distress. This is really very encouraging.

In this context I must tell you about an incident happened nearly five – siix years ago. One day my house help Anjali came to me early in the morning, she looked absolutely agitated. In a frantic voice she just informed me that her boy of about twelve years was sexually abused by a male teacher at the end of school hours and she’s going to school principal to lodge a complaint.

The matter disturbed me too much. I had seen the boy, so shy and always smiling. I knew how these kind of things leave someone emotionally scarred and traumatized for life. I prayed that the teacher got the punishment he deserved.

I had to attend my B Ed classes, so I got ready on time and went out. I was standing at the square to cross the road, when I saw Anjali running like a mad woman and another one calling her to stop. I enquired the woman unknown to me, what had happened? She then told me that all the teachers are rallying behind the culprit one and she was thrown out of school after being humiliated and zeered by them.

After crossing the road I saw her all alone rushing inside the police station. Her polite and smiling demeanor had turned to such a state, pained me. I could imagine what a mother goes through when her child is wronged. I pondered for some moment then decided to follow her.

I had never been to a police station and I was also alone, yet mustered all my courage and went inside. My house help was pleading repeatedly to the inspector in charge to accompany her and arrest the culprit before he turn tails. All the police personnel were going about their daily duties as if the woman didn’t exist.

I stood behind her chair and asked, why they were not taking up her case on emergency basis. The person looked at me dismissively and replied, there were procedure to be followed, madam. I warned them in a stern voice that if the person escaped while complying the procedure than the consequences would be very bad for them. I didn’t know from where I got the courage to confront the police men.

A little taken aback, the officer asked who I was and how the woman belong to me and what could I possibly do to harm them. I put both of my palm on her shoulders and pressed it reassuringly, at that time she looked at me and registered my presence for the first time in her dazed state.

I replied in a resolute voice that the woman was like sister to me and by the evening if the teacher is not behind bar then we would sit in a protest right at the police station. On seeing the confidence and strong resolve in my voice, the officer thought I might be belonging to any woman’s right group or a political party. He looked a bit concerned and said that I couldn’t issue such threat against them.

I remained unfazed and added that if proper and prompt action was not taken then they would see what I could do. My heart was beating fast and all the blood rushing to my face. Sensing women power, protests and ensuing bad press, the officer in a pacifying tone assured me that the action would be taken.

When I returned from college I saw Anjali waiting at the door.She was about to fall to my feet, I stopped her and asked, what had happened. She told me that a police visited the school along with her and arrested the teacher and sent him in lock up without bail under POCSO. His arrest was the much needed balm to assuage her pain for her wronged child. There were tears of gratitude flowing down her cheeks, her voice breaking said in a small wornout voice, “If you didn’t accompany me, they would never have listened to me. I don’t know how to say thanks to you”.

I replied that she just go back to her son who despite the presence of father might be needing the comfort of mother too. On her returnig form, there was no sign of a dishevelled mother who was running barefoot across the road like a deranged woman earlier in the day. Justice was done.