Sick Mentality, Moral Depravity Or Just Plain Fear?

Sick Mentality, Moral Depravity Or Just Plain Fear?

woman lay dying on AJC Bose Road as hundreds streamed past

Yet another accident… yet another victim… and yet again, our lack of decency, humanity, empathy and caring lie exposed. Yet again, we lie exposed for what we have become as a people – uncaring, depraved and self-centered people who care nothing for anyone not related to us, who feel no empathy and no pity for any person not directly emotionally connected with us. My head hangs in shame… what have we become as a people? How did we become so heartless, so cruel?

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She lay bleeding on the road in front of St John's Church at AJC Bose Road-Ripon Street crossing for about 25 minutes in rush hour. What makes it even more shocking is, people went about normally all around her. One flank of AJC Road was then packed with vehicles bringing students to two of Kolkata's most reputable schools. On the other flank, buses carrying passengers to Sealdah and the IT hub of Salt Lake jostled for space.

Yet, no one stopped to help an injured woman.

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If anyone thinks this is an isolated incident, think again… remember Nirbhay, and how no one came to help her? Or you can also do a simple google search – or go and read at least one more article on my blog itself. This is the fourth case I have documented of such brutal and heartless behavior of Indians towards their fellow citizens, fellow humans in dire need. This is what we have become – morally defunct, without any sense of humanity, decency, honesty…

I would like to ask all India – what would you feel like if someone you know and love {God Forbid} goes through a similar experience – and you chance upon him or her lying on the road, bleeding – and in need of help? What would you do? Take a snap, or just look, and walk away? No? If not, why not? And what would you feel like if you ran to people for help – and they just looked away, walked away? Shame on you, shame – all of you who walked away, or looked away in all such cases. If you are reading this, let me tell you – you are a disgusting and brutal excuse for a human. Even an animal tries and helps its own species in distress!

The mere thought of it makes my blood run cold… my mind freeze in shock at the sheer uncaring, inhuman and cold-blooded brutality displayed by everyone.  Are we so depraved, bled dry of all that our resplendent culture has taught us, devoid of all humanity and morality that we will let people die? This despite there being a series of commendable decisions by the courts supporting the helpers? How can such people go in front of their families, and face them? How do they manage to look their loved ones in the eyes? And what do they think that God is not watching? I am shocked… just plained stunned at this shocking display of selfish brutality by the average Indian! Chhi! Shame! Shame on us, all of us!

WHAT LIES AT THE CORE OF THIS BEHAVIOUR

What lies at the core of this inexplicable display of moral turpitude, this display of depraved or wicked behaviour or character? Is it that the average Indian’s character has gone bad? Have we become the demons of our age, the Raavan or the Duryodhan of the modern age? The evidence would certainly support such an indictment; there can be no doubt of that. Walking away from a wounded and dying man certainly qualifies for a wicked character. That is certain. Except for one thing : Both the above were very learned and able men. We certainly aren’t either; we are worse, if anything – judging from the above.

The only other explanation – fear. Fear of hurt or loss to self due to a lack of trust in the systems that govern us. As I observed – this fear persists in the face of repeated court interventions and decisions telling people, exhorting people to help victims without fear. Yet, such horrifying displays of crass inhumanity persist, pointing to a large and yawning gap between the people and the system.

The need of the hour then becomes planning and executing steps that can be taken to bridge this gap; to lessen the fear in the minds of the people. This would involve educating and reforming the interface between the people and the system – the front-facing Government staff like the police and civil servants, and ensure that they are more receptive to the genuine needs of humanity.

However, having said that, these representatives also come from within our society. And if these people are still harassing the helpers {I don’t know that, to be honest- that is why the qualification “if”} it calls for deep seated reform within the system. But more pertinently, this also goes to prove that there is an additional factor beyond “fear”; that fear cannot explain everything. Had fear been the sole causative factor, then at least the interface would have been more friendly, and more caring.

And if they aren’t harassing the helpers, which is a distinct possibility given the many decisions, and the absence of media hue and cry on this - such cases goes to show that we as a people are unthinking and self-centered, and morally defunct and depraved. We just don’t care. Not even when there are such blood-curling cases happening. That is a simple conclusion that can be drawn. We all of us need a deep relook at our priorities, our morality and our lives.

If we assume that there is some fear factor that lies at the core, along with other problems, then the solution could be canvassing door-to-door or otherwise reaching out to the people – not impersonally through media  - but with the personal touch and assuring people that they wont be harassed in case they have to help. This requires deep and systemic reform within the police system and other administrative reforms, which will enable the police to be a bit freer to execute such tasks; but it is doable, and very practical. This will also go a long way in building trust within communities and rebuilding some character in the people.

But how can that happen, when we the people are ourselves  not wanting such reforms? Even the courts want them, the police themselves want these reforms, but no. Not we the people. We all go excited over nonsense and / or relatively unimportant aspects, but are not concerned about this very vital set of reforms that can redefine the way we live. We are too self centered in our ways, too idiotic in our approach to see how we are harming ourselves by such activities…