A Nation of Compensation:

Sept 06/2013: All over the world, indiscipline is punished. A social custom or enacted law always holds precedence over inpidual likes and dislikes. This thought creates the root from which  has developed national characters. National development is only possible when the citizen behaves responsibly towards general good while taking care of personal well being. Infrastructure or natural resources have never created a healthy society.

India is a different kind of a country, if it could ever be called such. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi recognized this national character of extreme indiscipline. He used it as a weapon of non violence against the orderly mind of the European. In his Quit India movement, he used Civil Disobedience as an integral part. The thought was immediately understandable for the average satyagrahi. It worked well enough to fox the British who could never comprehend why a civilized nation would not obey the law of the land. Although it succeeded in dislodging the White rule, it also brought to fore the predominant strain of thought of the common Indian.

Take for example a recent railway related incident in Bihar. It is said many Bol Bums (Kaudias) were crushed to death by a passing train last week. Now, all of us are aware that a train can only travel on a pre marked path--the parallel lines--laid down for it. It is a huge vehicle made of steel that hurtles down at tremendous speed creating massive sound and vibration. The Bol Bums, we believe, were most likely very heavily intoxicated for which they could not hear nor see this massive vehicle come crush them to death. After this 'accident' kind of an incident, people screamed and shouted. Parts of the train were set on fire by rampaging mobs which also mercilessly thrashed the hapless driver of that train. Then began the drama of demanding 'compensation' for the kin of the dead. The dead were dead. Why they could not move out of the rail track is none of the business for those who demand absurd compensation. Yet the government in the railway ministry meekly agreed to, and most probably has commenced, paying compensation for the deaths that occurred solely due to the involved inpiduals' attitude of disobedience to the well understood law of not hanging out on rail tracks.

Recently some locals of a village in Sundergarh district of Orissa entered an area of stockpiled coal. The high pile up collapsed and a specific number of people were killed. Management of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) was held responsible by certain 'important' people who also said the kin of the dead must be compensated. The primary reason flaunted was that the mining company had not put up sufficient barricades and/or signs alerting people to the dangers present in that area. Had the dead been outsiders, the argument could have been digested. As they were all locals, it can very clearly be stated that they were aware of the risks but were having mala fide interests to enter such an area. It is any one's guess as to the causes for such an entry by a group of villagers! Now, to demand compensation for incidents caused due to disobedience to the law is stretching matters too far for society.

Take for example the other burning issue of rape. Some are calling it the 'rape culture' of India. A nation steeped in such a 'cultural' mindset has a perverted view of things simple and natural. Starting from Delhi and passing through Pipli onwards to Bombay, rapists are not only ganging up to commit this crime on students and photo journalists but are also showing their cold mindset by filming the incident with their mobiles phones. Instead of demanding exemplary punishment of death to these calculative criminals of the worst order, to be meted out early by a quickly pronounced judgement, our country asks for compensation to the victim. This compensation suddenly quietens every one concerned.

This is a chilling situation. A nation of 66 years of freedom should have developed a character during this period. As a race continually subjugated by foreign rulers or cruel kings, we perceive the laws of the land as being alien to us. As instruments of oppression, implemented to restrain our growth. Now that we think we have freed ourselves, we have completely forgotten our responsibilities that are so very important to retain the essence of this easily achieved freedom from colonial rule. We have no choice but to await plenty of terrible suffering in the years to come.