Ready for Ambush

About crime, society and 24x7 news channels

There are various layers of crimes that we as a country need to deal with. One layer emanates from the coalition of special interests as described by Bimal Jalan in “The Future of India”. Political leaders gained, and are still gaining from their control over the resources of the public sector enterprises. Workers in the organized sector gained from the political patronage enjoyed by them. Bureaucrats gained from the opportunities for corruption at various levels. Private sector entrepreneurs and contractors gained from their ability to influence government decisions in their favour. The evils sustained due to this include poverty, illiteracy, female oppression, corruption, etc. These can be attributed to the result of the myopic self-interests of certain people in power. The harm caused to the nation in turn is not a desired outcome but an inevitable side-effect.

Another layer of crime is the kind of crime that is caused by misguided individuals. These criminals are the victims of a lack of a proper education; and a lack of emotional and mental nourishment. This is usually topped with the belief of being powerful enough to get away with it or brave enough to risk it etc. These crimes include rape and murder. Such crimes can only be cured through the upliftment of the under-privileged who don’t get access to the right kind of values and opportunities. In other cases it requires an improved facilitation of counseling and emotional nourishment. Also the possible victims need to be aware of lurking dangers and need to strengthen their individual self-defense mechanisms.

A third layer is the kind where individuals turn cynical of the ways of the world and device their own methods to make money – illegal trade, smuggling, drug peddling etc. They work in an organized structure, follow hierarchy and even have rules – very different from those laid out by the law of the country. These people though misguided due to the lack of the right kind of education and timely counseling have high IQs. Their intelligence is effectively channelised into designing their own systems while escaping from legal systems.

But when you hear that an organized group of people in tandem with the authorities employ an absolutely heinous crime to feed their stomachs and live in luxury, it is hard to fathom. How can there be a large collection of people who can share a consensus on a crime which involves sexual assault, murder and organ trade of little children? How can a large group of individuals sleep peacefully and enjoy the money earned from the mass, brutal murder of little children? Don’t the innocent voices echo in their minds? Don’t their possible screams disrupt their sleep? One can explain the activities of one man with a personality disorder. But the revelation that he convinced so many to be partners in crime makes me wonder about the extent of personality disorders that thrives.

What convinced the rest? Could it be fear? Could it be the greed for money?

What does this say about the society we live in? People allow fear to take-over their conscience. Worse, they allow greed to take over their conscience. All this in a society that is deep-rooted in religion and the love for God. Is all this loud playing of religious songs on the streets at the drop of a hat, just a farce?

I am afraid that I know very few people who will stand their ground when faced with an ethical crisis. If you knew that some powerful, dangerous people indulge in such activity in your neighborhood, would you stay mum to protect your own life and family or would you stand up to what your conscience tells you? Tough one.

Well, I for one am thankful for the proliferation of technology advancement leading to enhanced connectivity. I feel safe that there are a thousand news channels hungry for a good story to air all day. I personally feel happy that they are the common man’s effective arms against injustice and crime. Everybody curses the content on 24hr news channels and that there are so many of them! But that’s exactly why there will always be room for my story should the need arise.

We don’t need to be afraid anymore! We can quit apathy. We can wake up to realizing that in some way or the other, the lives of the victims of injustice are connected to ours. We no-longer need to derive satisfaction from mumbling to ourselves that it’s a bad world out there. We can actually do our part in changing it.