Editor,
The month of August has seen horrific cases of violence against women and young girls in India. Every case is tragic, but the 31-year old medical trainee, brutally raped and killed at R G Kar Hospital, has been in the eye of the storm. I wish all the victims had powerful organizations like the IMA to support them. One’s heart breaks for all of them, but we do not know as much about the others, as we do about the Kolkata victim. One does not have to be virtuous to merit compassion and support. Any living being (not just humans) brutalized, anywhere in the world, deserves our empathy. But it feels worse when the victim is virtuous.
From interviews of her parents, neighbours, and others, the Kolkata medical trainee sounds truly selfless. A devoted daughter, hardworking student, and altruistic neighbour, she was humble and angelic — never troubling her parents for anything. An only child, she took care of not just her parents and neighbours, but even the stray animals she would feed. Speaking to a journalist, her weeping neighbour described her as a humble person. In this age of capitalistic medicine and greed, she was unique in her vocation for this noble profession. A gift to her patients, she worked thirty-six long hours before lying down to rest on that fateful night of August 9. To have to work thirty-six hours at a stretch is inhumane. The brutality of the attack is truly stunning. The misogynistic sadism in the rapist or rapists is chilling. How deeply they hate women to have derived sick pleasure from torturing Abhaya before killing her.
What surprises me is the fact that there were no warning signs. If indeed, Abhaya knew too much about the corrupt activities at RG Kar, surely her life was in danger?
Her parents are so powerful in their dignity, resilience, and grief — after being misled that it was a suicide, made to wait for three hours, etc. Frozen with pain, they cannot bear to enter Abhaya’s room. Yet they have been noble enough to say that all who are protesting are their children — the words of grieving parents, powerful in their generosity. Her father has been ethical enough to refuse CM Mamata Banerjee’s money offer, which some have called a bribe. Before a tragedy of such epic proportions, money cheapens the person making the offer.
The world’s prayers, I hope, console Abhaya’s inconsolable parents, and all the rape victims (some of them very young), and their loved ones.
If I were Mamata Banerjee, I would resign immediately, instead of making bombastic speeches!
Yours etc.,
Deepa Majumdar,
Via email
A blind man selling kwai – cigarettes
Editor,
A few days ago, in the busy market of Shillong, I came across a blind man and watched him moving through the crowd, selling betel nuts and just a “single” packet of cigarettes from a small plastic bag. He was continuously calling out, “Kwai-cigarettes! Kwai-cigarettes!”, trying to catch the attention of passersby. The contents of that bag couldn’t have been worth more than Rs 150. If he had more money, I’m sure he would have carried several packets of cigarettes, some pan masala and other similar stuff to sell. The stick in his hand was his only guide and support. I had never seen a blind person selling items like this before. The thought of what it took for him to do this filled me with both admiration and sadness.
What truly struck me was realizing what could have compelled this blind man to journey all the way from his village in Mawngap to Shillong. Many thoughts raced through my mind. What I could conclude is that the man has seemingly no one to support him. Being blind, he could have easily stood on the roadside and begged for money. But instead, he chose the path of dignity. He may have lost his sight, but his will and perseverance remained unshaken. From the bottom of my heart, I salute his incredible courage!
To learn more about him, I walked alongside him. When he spoke, his voice was soft and gentle. It revealed a tale of sorrow that I chose to hold close to my heart. I immediately offered him some money—an amount he couldn’t see but could only feel—and he looked toward the heavens, thanking me with a depth of gratitude that left me truly humbled. He even asked about me, a simple gesture that spoke volumes about his humility. I don’t think I’ve ever been thanked as sincerely as I was by this blind man.
At that moment, I realized just how much he must have been struggling for so many years, perhaps just to ensure a plate of rice. A part of me wanted to do more for him, to bring him home and find a way to ease his burden, even if just for a little while. Well, for the next few days I searched for him in the market hoping to offer more help.
Through this letter, I appeal to those who believe in compassion and service to the needy to do something for this blind man from a village near Mawngap. Any help, whether it’s supporting him financially or providing him with a suitable job, would make a world of difference in his life. Let’s not turn a blind eye to the needs of a man who literally risks his life at every step just to fill his stomach.
WhatsApp 8014869199 for a photo to identify the blind man from Mawngap.
Yours truly,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Extrajudicial killing the new economic weapon?
Editor,
The economy in the Northeastern region is taking a hit in the solar plexus along the Indo-Bangladesh border, under the current tension. The fear that the exodus of people along fractured lines has made us forget that friendly relations with our neighbours is imperative and Bangladesh’s largest export destination is India. Asian Confluence, a think-tank recently hosted a webinar on the theme “India-Bangladesh Relations: Exploring Opportunities for the Future with Perspectives from the North-East Region of India.” The panelists averred that one way of approaching the problem is to understand the need to survive together in a dynamically changing world. Nations are just bleeding out their resources and trade relations if we are following Uncle Sam’s way. Developed during the Obama administration, a kill list called, ‘The Disposition Matrix,’ was curated which had a database of information for targeted strikes of known suspected enemies of the US and with the death of an Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna found under mysterious circumstances as per media reports that too inside Indian territory it shows how the nature of checks and balances are trampled upon.
It is worthwhile mentioning that in 2023 the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijja sent shock-waves in the intelligence community with strong diplomatic ties between India and Canada hanging in uncertainty. Political complexities should never compromise values and bilateral connections because in dire circumstances, the neighbour would be the first one to lend a helping hand. COVID-19 did teach us that the hard way. The book, ‘How the West Fuels War and Poverty in the Developing World by Vijay Mehta discusses that methods of disarmament and development through sustainable means can create a new world.
Yours etc.,
Christopher Gatphoh,
Shillong-10