Nirbhay: Insaaniyat Kahaan Hai? Where is our humanity?

Interview with Nirbhay's Friend:

It is an interview that has made bile rise up in my throat in disgust and horror. I was at first rendered speechless at the collective behaviour of society, at our callousness and our uncaring attitude and at our brutality and intense stupidity. For the first time in my life, I am ashamed of calling myself an Indian. If this is typical Indian behaviour, there can be no India Shining, and there can decidedly be no pride in being a member of Indian society. The interview is a scathing indictment of our behaviour, as well as that of our police:

"Nirbhaya's friend said on Friday that the two of them lay naked on the road for more than two hours with people stopping to look at them and then moving on.

"My friend was grievously injured and bleeding profusely. Cars, autos and bikes slowed down and sped away. I kept waving for help. The ones who stopped stared at us, discussing what could have happened. Nobody did anything," he said in an interview to Zee News channel.

According to the friend, the apathy did not end even after the police entered the scene. Three PCR vans arrived at the spot. Then, in an exhibition of mindless, totally insensitive bureaucratic behaviour, the cops spent the next half-hour arguing over whose jurisdiction the crime fell under, he said.

"The police did not pick us up. One of them tore a sheet and offered it to me to cover my friend. In my injured state, I picked her up and put her in the PCR van," said the friend, narrating his story with poise and composure.

"The police took us to Safdarjung Hospital rather than going to the nearest private hospital. Had it not been late at night when there's hardly any traffic on the roads, my friend would have died that very day," he said.

Appearing on camera with his right leg still in a cast, the software engineer recounted the treatment meted out to him at Safdarjung Hospital. "When we reached the hospital, I sat without clothes on the floor for a long time even as my friend was taken inside for treatment."

He said for the next four days, he lay on a stretcher in the police station, where he was not provided any treatment or counselling. In fact, he added that his treatment was being done at a private hospital on his own expense"

Read the italicized lines, and justify one single point that has been raised! Open Challenge to all India! I stand shocked into numbness at this stunning display of selfishness by our society! It is the biting cold of December in New Delhi, with temperatures reaching 3 degress, you spot 2 naked wounded people on the road crying for help - and do nothing? Not only do you not stop to help, you do not even call the police? And you call yourself human? I dont! Even animals help each other: this display just reveals how decadent we have become. All of us stand indicted in this matter! 

As far as the police is concerned, their behaviour is totally unacceptable, and not forgiveable. In the biting cold of December, you do not even give a blanket to 2 badly injured victims? A person is dying on the road, and you are arguing about whose jurisdiction this crime comes in? Rather than take the girl to the nearest hospital, you drive to Safdarjung? You provide no clothes to the man and woman who are obvious victims? You force the poor injured man - a victim himself  - to carry the raped and grievously injured girl rather than do it yourself? May I ask why? What right has police to now state that it is the caretaker of the people of India? Caretaker of the people my bloody foot! If this is the behaviour and procedure of the Indian Police, then I shall not mince my words: you are not helping Indians, and are a part of the problem!

For, it is entirely possible that the people did not stop out of fear of harassment by the police; their is a genuine fear in the people that if they help, they will be targeted and harassed. This is a felt problem, and could be one of the  biggest reasons for the ugly inhuman public behaviour. Few will help if they are scared of being targeted. 

But what takes the cake is the police approach:

• Argue over jurisdiction for half an hour - and not do anything about the victims
• Tell one victim to lift the girl into the PCR 
• No ambulance
• No clothes or blankets given to naked victims
• You have the victim liwe on a stretcher for 4 days without treatment
• Do not take victim to nearest hospital

The above is unforgiveable... the perpetrators of the above insensitive behaviour should be axed from the force forthwith! There cannot be any question of leniency. 

And still, despite this, India is silent. There is no question being asked of Police Reform. For one thing is pretty clear from the above: the police lack the procedural guidelines on how to behave in emergencies, they lack humanity and treat even victims as criminals, they are more concerned with saving their own skin rather than solve crimes and help people

And still, we are silent. Remember: we stay silent at our own peril. We ignored that poor girl and her friend that night - one day it could be someone you know. Then, at that point, kindly dont blame anyone else. To all those who did not stop, as well as to those would not have stopped had they been on that road - you are equally responsible. Your behaviour is inadmissible

And we forget police reform at our own peril; the Indian Police has proven itself to be a total failure in the case above; it has no humanity, has no procedures, and is only an investigative arm. It is only a protect politician force with some investigative abilities. The police needs freedom, teeth, lessons in humanity, and above all, procedural guidelines and punitive punishments to those policemen who display the behaviour above. 

India, remember: we keep silent at our own peril. Put pressure on your local MP . MLA for proper policing... on the central and state governments to free the police. You have the Supreme Court with you in this... you ignore this at your own peril.

At your own peril. 

It is time to look in the mirror accept that our behaviour is ugly, and is harming ourselves...

Insaaniyat kahaan hai?