I got into a lot of trouble when I was young because I was thought to be arrogant.
And I was. And I was made to pay an exorbitant price for this. The punishment was out of all proportion to the crime.
Why is arrogance thought to be such a cardinal sin in India.
Much of this may well be due to a feudal outlook. Watch the movie, Article 15, starring Ayushmann Khurana. The story revolves around a case of rape and murder. Two young girls – of the Dalit community – asked for a pay hike of three rupees per day. This was in the badlands of UP (if I remember correctly).
Three rupees is such an insignificant amount. You can’t get a cigarette or a bottle of water for that sum. But the girls in the movie were seen as potential troublemakers because they made this demand. And they were made an example of for this reason. They were not given the chance to incite others from the same community.
Watch the movie. It is well made and entertaining. Link is below:
https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81154455
The problem for the feudal persons in the movie (and in my life) was that the law did not support their position. That is why the girls (in the movie) were killed and I was victimized.
Now you may be wondering what I mean by that.
What I mean is this. The Constitution and the law in India does not support the prejudices of the communities who have been holding power in India. The caste system – as everyone know – is widespread in India. The upper castes (the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas) have held power for centuries. The Hindu way of life (Manu Smriti) supported their position. But now the legal position gives all citizens equal rights, regardless of their caste.
In the movie – Article 15 – the feudal people could not have taken the girls to the police when they asked for a pay hike. If someone from the lower castes started agitating for a bigger share of the pie then they are not breaking the law in any way. In fact the law supports them and many jobs are reserved for people of the lower castes.
So the feudal people – in the movie and in my life – took matters in their own hands an meted out punishment out of all proportion to the crime.
I have had interaction with the police and I know that they are expected to maintain certain standards. There are checks and balances on their power and they are also trained for their job. So the potential of misuse of power is less.
That was not the case of feudal people in my two examples.
Now I am not suggesting that the whole country goes back to the legal system of Manu Smriti. It may have had certain advantages but practically speaking it is impossible in the modern day and age to go back to a feudal legal system.
These are teething problems that are I think being faced by a society in flux. We simply have to live with them until society becomes modern in its outlook. But perhaps the police will find my analysis of the situation useful in doing their job. I hope so anyway.
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