Sometimes exposing people has a negative effect.

Often I walk in the park with a gentleman who is 80 and we talk mostly of cricket. Reasonably  neutral subject. Then one day I asked him what he thought of the Anna Hazare movement, he kept quiet for a while and said something to the effect this too shall pass. In his opinion all this expose' and other actions will not really help as hoped. It may make things worse. People who are corrupt will get more shameless and brazen with more exposure. It is similar to the advice one gives to parents  who are too harsh. They are advised to go a little easy on punishment. The word used is that they will become 'mondu' (Hardened!).

I think I have told this story before. As it happens in some companies an undesirable element somehow slips thru the screening process and by the time they find out, he is already a union leader and practically 'untouchable'. And as I was new to the company, one such guy was quietly transferred to my department. Actually he behaved well but always a little grim. Then I got to know thru grapevine that he was a known criminal and he was barred from entering Bombay!

Once he drove me to Ahmednagar from Pune on work and on the way back I saw that he was totally drunk and I had to drive back the Jeep, the first time I was driving a left-hand drive vehicle, that too on the highway in the night. I deicded not to report this incident, but I called him the next day to my office and gave him a lecture about drinking on duty and that while I should report him, I would not do so, if he promised not to repeat it again. He became emotional and then he said something very unexpected. He said he was very thankful and would not hesitate even to murder for me! I took it as a joke and said it was not so easy! That is when he admitted that he had actually killed in the heat of the moment as he was provoked. He had no signs of remorse as he had probably justified his action in his mind. Anyway as I changed my job, I had no more connection with him. But I can never forget his clouded eyes as he confessed his dark deed.

I was reminded of  this story when I saw this headline a couple of days ago.

The 80 year olds' killed were not people but trees. I think it is the same as killing a human or worse.

I saw this a couple of days later right on my street and thought that while a few branches were cut the tree was safe. As in my opinion the tree was no threat to the buliding being built. But I was wrong!

I was shocked to see that the tree was murdered and the body was spirited away the next morning. I don't think anyone noticed or cared. Even if they had cared it was too late! So my 80 year old walking friend was right. All of us have become immune to murder.

 Paper rules are created and papers continue to publish wrong doings with the hope that some action will be taken and that these wrong doers will be punished or shamed and all this will stop. But unfortunately they all remain as just that. Useless paper!