Mahati's friend came to her for a help. He wanted her to accompany him to the prison as he wanted to meet his jailed father. He wanted some mental support too. Mahati gladly agreed to help her friend. Also, she has never been to a prison before. So, she wanted to check it out too. It wasn't exactly cinematic. It was so informal. There was no bullet proof glass, no telephones, barricades. It was normal. A little stricter than a hostel visit. They waited while his father was called for.
He was arrested for a bank fraud. A relative of his took a loan of ten lakhs from the bank in which he was working as a clerk. Since it was a relative, he himself gave assurance and granted him the loan with a gentle warning to not mess the money and his name. That was it. He never again heard from the relative again. The routine Indian drama where everybody knows who the gentleman is. Well, on the outer side, the richer guy is always the gentleman. He can buy things. He is smart. The sincere man got arrested, sentenced for seven years in jail, his house seized and felicitated with the name 'gadar.' No bail. He had no money, how would he get bail?
Mahati friend's father entered the place slowly. He lost all energy. Most importantly lost hope!! He was carrying newspapers of three different days. As the father-son duo were exchanging niceties, Mahati looked at the papers. They read,
News 1
A "celebrity" actor was granted bail not two days after he got arrested in hit and run case. Well, there are thousands dying daily. Is a bus driver or conductor arrested if the bus runs over a bike? The biker has to be careful. What if the "celebrity" hunts down a black buck? Was a train driver ever arrested for the hundreds of elephants that died by getting hit by trains? The elephants got in the way of the train. The black buck got in the way of the bullet! The case was under litigation for 13 years.
News 2
This "celebrity" actor turned chief minister was acquitted from an disproportionate assets case. All she had were ten thousand sarees, 25 Kg gold, 750 Kg silver among many other valuables, farm houses, lands and buildings. She only drew a salary of Re.1 as chief minister. After a litigation of 18 years, she was convicted for seven months and then acquitted. Her supporters are jubiliant. They all cannot wait to fall on her feet, stand behind her with their head bowed in reverence to the great warrior lady. She is the 'mother' after all.
News 3
Another "celebrity" who has been praised as the 'Bill Gates of India' by many, who even sat along side Mr. Gates in a function was granted bail finally, after a struggle for 33 months, hundreds of 'poojas,' 'yajnas' and donations on his name! The person and his brother were involved in the biggest accounting scandal the country has ever seen. Beat that Harshad!! In the scandal which shook the country and put the future of IT in India in jeopardy, there was a manipulation of accounts by $1.47 billion. Start counting!
Mahati then put down the newspapers. She then looked at the title of the newspaper. "Witness," it plainly translated into English. 'The money invested into running this newspaper itself is manipulated money, darker than black and the owner of the paper is leading the opposition of a state while on bail and all the innocent and powerless people can do is read in his paper about those who could "buy" things and only blabber about bad things going on in the country, have food, watch cricket and go to offices, accepting that the country will never change. If the leader of the opposition is out on bail and running one of the largest circulated newspapers in the world, what about those sitting in the all powerful seats? And those who supported those in power?' Mahati wondered while the poor man and his son talked as much as they could in the little time they had together.
The police sentry blew a whistle indicating that the visiting hours were done for the day.
He was arrested for a bank fraud. A relative of his took a loan of ten lakhs from the bank in which he was working as a clerk. Since it was a relative, he himself gave assurance and granted him the loan with a gentle warning to not mess the money and his name. That was it. He never again heard from the relative again. The routine Indian drama where everybody knows who the gentleman is. Well, on the outer side, the richer guy is always the gentleman. He can buy things. He is smart. The sincere man got arrested, sentenced for seven years in jail, his house seized and felicitated with the name 'gadar.' No bail. He had no money, how would he get bail?
Mahati friend's father entered the place slowly. He lost all energy. Most importantly lost hope!! He was carrying newspapers of three different days. As the father-son duo were exchanging niceties, Mahati looked at the papers. They read,
News 1
A "celebrity" actor was granted bail not two days after he got arrested in hit and run case. Well, there are thousands dying daily. Is a bus driver or conductor arrested if the bus runs over a bike? The biker has to be careful. What if the "celebrity" hunts down a black buck? Was a train driver ever arrested for the hundreds of elephants that died by getting hit by trains? The elephants got in the way of the train. The black buck got in the way of the bullet! The case was under litigation for 13 years.
News 2
This "celebrity" actor turned chief minister was acquitted from an disproportionate assets case. All she had were ten thousand sarees, 25 Kg gold, 750 Kg silver among many other valuables, farm houses, lands and buildings. She only drew a salary of Re.1 as chief minister. After a litigation of 18 years, she was convicted for seven months and then acquitted. Her supporters are jubiliant. They all cannot wait to fall on her feet, stand behind her with their head bowed in reverence to the great warrior lady. She is the 'mother' after all.
News 3
Another "celebrity" who has been praised as the 'Bill Gates of India' by many, who even sat along side Mr. Gates in a function was granted bail finally, after a struggle for 33 months, hundreds of 'poojas,' 'yajnas' and donations on his name! The person and his brother were involved in the biggest accounting scandal the country has ever seen. Beat that Harshad!! In the scandal which shook the country and put the future of IT in India in jeopardy, there was a manipulation of accounts by $1.47 billion. Start counting!
Mahati then put down the newspapers. She then looked at the title of the newspaper. "Witness," it plainly translated into English. 'The money invested into running this newspaper itself is manipulated money, darker than black and the owner of the paper is leading the opposition of a state while on bail and all the innocent and powerless people can do is read in his paper about those who could "buy" things and only blabber about bad things going on in the country, have food, watch cricket and go to offices, accepting that the country will never change. If the leader of the opposition is out on bail and running one of the largest circulated newspapers in the world, what about those sitting in the all powerful seats? And those who supported those in power?' Mahati wondered while the poor man and his son talked as much as they could in the little time they had together.
The police sentry blew a whistle indicating that the visiting hours were done for the day.
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