In the last few days, there were two news pieces that shocked me - further making me convinced that this world is turning more and more into a decadent living organism.
Praveen Halappanavar stood beside her like a rock as he watched his wife get consumed by theocracy. Sunita Halappanavar, 31, 17 months pregnant, died in an Irish hospital due to ill health and pains on October 28th - just because the government of Ireland considers abortion illegal. Ireland is a predominantly Catholic country.
It's a shame to know that in this day and age, religion occupies a higher than the survival of an individual, even in such crucial moments. I mean no disrespect to anybody's religion, but where is it written that you outght to follow the path of God while denying the opportunity of life to an individual. In this case, had the laws not been so stringent, Savita would have lived on at the expense of a miscarriage. It's about damage control, disaster management - being puritanical in such a case never helps.
Moreover, this should have been the Halappanavars' call completely. Now what has happened here is the state, albeit indirectly, is involved in the death of an individual. In the wake of this incident, pro-choice activists have created a furore and have been demanding for the Irish abortion laws to revamped.
But what about Savita Halappanavar...?
A few days later, while Mumbai (Bombay) was laid under siege for an entire weekend while bereaved followers flocked the Shivaji Park grounds to pay their last respects to Mumbai's uncrowned king, right-wing leader Balasaheb Thackeray on his death, a girl based in a faraway suburb of Mumbai - Palghar - chose to express her grief, over losing the entire weekend to fear and impotence on the part of the system, on Facebook. Her status update, though deemed crude by many, were a basic statement of facts, once you carefully analyze her entire 'rant'. The next thing you know, she's been arrested by the cops for 'hurting religious sentiments' and a friend of hers has been booked as well for 'liking' the update.
The Sections, it seems, of the Indian Penal Code weren't even the right ones, under which they were arrested. And this wasn't just it - Shiv Sena hooligans trashed her uncle's clinic and no action is being taken against that as well. Because of such incidents, the common man - the Mumbaikar, in this case - is losing his faith in the law and order.
Luckily, the power of social media helped this issue go viral and thanks to a little help from Justice Katju, the wrath of this injustice could be ended. The victim was granted bail and so was the friend. However, the fear is still deeply injected in their minds. Fear of raising your voice against injustice. Fear of being a puppet at the hands of the powers-that-be (not the Government). Fear of turning into an Iran or a North Korea.
Wading through these waters, as people have been over the years, seeking an end to this decadence will always be on our minds. The journey, however, will be smoother if and when we start considering human lives much more important than perceived beliefs - may it be religious or endorsed by the state. Or enforced by the fundamentalist powers of the land.
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