Sunday, May 19th 12:11 AM IST
 

Guwahati molestation: the bystanders should have done more

Arun George

We constantly espouse the case of the hero. The man/ woman who stood up against something unjust and stopped it, even when common sense dictated otherwise. But today forget acting against injustice, in most cases we are guilty of not even reporting things we see. In multiple incidents, including the one in Guwahati, there are many people who can be seen not doing anything about the horror unfolding before them and watching mutely as it unfolded before them. There is always something that can be done to prevent an atrocity and no matter how infinitesimal it could help. The bystander is never innocent and unless something is done, he/she is always guilty of inaction. And while that may not be a punishable crime but it isn’t one that people should be absolved easily.read less read more

Akshaya Mishra

Superheroes happen in movies, not in real life. The expectation that the bystander would risk his life by taking on drunk, knife-wielding and murderous people is ridiculous. It comes from the misplaced sense of heroism popularised by Hindi movies. It rarely happens that way in actual situations. Why? It is not that the bystander is enjoying the show or is heartless, he is just too scared to act. Doesn’t he normally intervene when the parties involved in a fight are kids or persons he can manage? There are other problems too. Involvement in such cases means getting trapped in police procedures and unending rounds of police stations. If the people concerned are local goons, then the lives of the bystander and his family members are under threat. Why can’t we devise a system where the bystander intervenes and still stays anonymous and unharassed? Technology – a quick phone call or a message -- can be of big help here. But the police must act in tandem too. Without a quick and mobile police force, nothing will work. So let’s get our thinking on the issue right. Stupid heroic action is no practical solution.read less read more