The middle aged professor had steel in his eyes as he pointed the realistic looking toy gun at the stunned bank cashier.  “Just give me that 1000 rupee note that you are holding in your hands else un talai vedikkum (blow your head off).” The cashier handed the rupee note with shaking hands.  “So now I have crossed the line that I have never crossed before in my life; the line that separates a criminal from society. But I really needed to do this.”  The professor then flipped a visiting card through the counter window at the still speechless cashier.  “These are my contact details here.  You can give this to the police when they arrive here looking for me,” the professor passed his the palm of his free left hand over his pepper grey hair and winked at the cashier.  He was a quite handsome man for his age.  “Goodbye and thanks for your cooperation,” the professor turned abruptly and was gone.

 

It did not take the police much time to come knocking at the departmental office of the professor at the local pharmacy college.  He was the head of the department of chemistry there.  “Are you Dr. Soma Sundaram Saar,” Sub-Ispector Bhoopathy boomed at the man sitting on the chair.” The professor, still holding the toy gun in his hands, looked up and shook his head in the affirmative.  “You are under arrest sir for bank robbery and I would advise you to put that gun down immediately.”   The professor obeyed without any protest and rose up offering his hands to be fettered.  “There is no need for that,” the inspector boomed.  “Just come with me to the station.  The bank cashier told me everything.  Enna saar, ippidi ellaam seyyarenga, (why did you do this) a decent padicchavanga (educated man) like you. Tanni potengala (did you drink). Paata appidi illaye (doesn’t seem you have).”    There was no reply from the professor as he accompanied the SI and two of his constables to the waiting police jeep.  By that time, a huge crowd of students, staff members, and other curious onlookers had gathered at the college entrance as the professor was whisked away.

 

And by the next day the incident had created a storm in the media, both visual and printed. There were various theories speculated as to why the professor had become a bank robber.  Opinions of colleagues and shocked friends were sought, but nothing seemed to indicate that the respected professor had this streak of robbery in him.   The professor was a well respected man in his field and was well loved by his students and colleagues.  The most shell-shocked were his family: his old parents and his wife.  And then as the days passed other rumors and theories began to float in the media.  These rumors and speculations carried deep taint and innuendos. Some of them speculated that the professor was a habitual gambler and was nose-deep in debt and that is why he had acted so desperately. Others painted him as a compulsive alcoholic who often used to come drunk to college even though the professor had been teetotaler throughout his life.  Regardless of all these acidulous labels, the professor still maintained an iron silence.  There was a constant media circus outside the station where the professor was still lodged in the station cell.  One of the media-men even got to see the professor after cajoling the SI but the professor refused to speak. And the unsubstantiated rumors got murkier and in a matter of days, the media had torn down the professor’s image to shreds.  And to top this, the professor’s college also stood him down from his job.

 

And then the day came when his trial began at the local court and again it was a full blown media circus.  The professor refused legal representation for his case.  The public prosecutor barraged him with questions for which he just replied with a yes or no only for the questions regarding his name, occupation, and address.  But the prosecutor got no answers for any questions regarding the bank incident itself.  A visibly flustered presiding judge, Hon. Shri Balakrishnan asked him the reason for his silence.  And it was then that the professor spoke for the first time after the bank holdup. 

 

“My honor, I have finally decided to break my silence.  In fact, I was waiting to get to court for this.  My honor, I have gone through a lot all these days ever since I forcibly took Rs. 1000 from the bank.  All these days I have borne so many insinuations, allegations, and strong doubts on my sanity even from my near and dear ones and rightfully so.  I have robbed a bank isn’t it sir, even though it was just one thousand rupees.  But believe me sir; there are many people in this nation of ours for whom these one thousand rupees make a big difference.  And that is why I will declare my guilt without any hesitation and accept any punishment that is meted out to me by the law.  And yet another part of my heart is rebelling against the punishment. It is unwilling to accept the punishment in the light of what is happening in our country regarding our political leaders and the gory loot that they are indulging in.  And, my honor, this has been going on unabated and unchecked since we got our hard fought independence from the British and yet sadly our nation remains a slave, a slave to all this humongous corruption and dacoity of our elected leaders who have absolutely no hesitation in betraying our trust.

 

But the more shocking thing is the passivity and the total lack of reaction by the populace in response.  There have been no agitations, no protests by the people, especially by those poor for whom Rs 1000 makes a big difference in their lives.  My honor, when the British ruled this land, we had the likes of Bhagat Singh who proudly stood up to their atrocities and injustice.  It was that fierce national pride that made them even lay down their lives for the nation.  In this light, I ask where is that fierce national pride against this corruption that is threatening to ruin this great nation of ours for good.  Forget about laying down their lives, the youth of today are not even game to make token protests and are busy with their cell-phones, M-TV and Facebook.  I am shocked and aghast at this apathy my honor and am seriously concerned for the future of our ancient land. 

 

My honor, I did not rob the bank to make a statement against corruption.  I robbed the bank as a protest against this national apathy.  Speeches and rallies and processions are not going to make any difference, tired as our citizens are by all these empty platitudes, processions, and promises of our political leaders.  Now it is time for bold and serious action.   It is time to revive an old freedom-fighting technique once again; the jail-bharo aandolan used by our great freedom fighters against colonial injustice.  I request the youth of this country to re-launch this moment against corruption.  In fact, I exhort the youth to indulge in token crimes enough to send them to jail and literally fill and crowd out the jails of this country.  Now that would make a serious statement against our corrupt leadership.  And there are other methods as well and again I’m taking the example of our great freedom fighters.  Methods like mass civil disobedience and noncooperation can bring down these corrupt hyenas to their knees in no time.  These villains will then realize that the true strength lies with the honest citizens of this land and not in their ill-gotten wealth and power. 

 

In this light, my honor, I’m gladly willing to undergo any punishment for my crime.  In fact, it would be better for the law to give me a long sentence in jail because I can promise you I’ll commit another token crime to get me back in jail again.  And this I will do again and again till my fellow citizens wake up and DO SOMETHING BY ACTION.  That’s all from my side sir.”

 

Judge BaalaKrishnan was as stunned as the rest of the courtroom.  He had never seen a case like this in his long legal innings.  But the thing that was bothering him more was what punishment to be meted. Not punishing the professor, he will become a national hero and punish him; the man will become a martyr.  Moreover, the man has promised that he will revisit the jails if set free.  But the judge had no doubt that the professor had made a big statement and ignited something that will be very difficult to put out.

 

EPILOGUE

With mixed feelings, the judge handed out a 2 months jail sentence to the professor which the latter accepted with visible glee.  And the professor had indeed become the darling of the nation and of course the vultures of the media.  But he was unconcerned of this newfound adulation.  What he was more happy and satisfied about was that there was a tidal wave of jail-bharo that had now taken the nation by storm and suddenly the powerful corrupt, previously untouchable from their seats of power, were virtually quaking in their boots.  This was a firestorm that no media spin or empty speeches and promises could quell.  This was a firestorm that would only leave ashes in its wake.  The nation, it seemed, had finally awoken from its corrupt slumber.

 

(This story was first written in Feb 2011 and is a tribute to all our great freedom fighters and their sacrifices It also champions Anna Hazaare, Baaba Raamdev, and the late Rajiv Dixit in their vanguard crusade against corruption)

 

BHAARATH MAATA KI JAI

JAI HIND & VANDE-MAATARAM

Dr. VSH

050211

 

Copyright 2011:  No part of this story shall be reproduced in any part or manner without the explicit