It had to happen. There is no law under which the juvenile criminal could have been kept in confinement any longer. The same TV anchors and activists, who had painted the country black, called all men potential rapists, cried crocodile tears at the deficiencies in the criminal justice system and at the treacherous social mindset are now crying themselves hoarse at the inadequacy of the law. They are acting in stupefied horror that the boy has been set at large. Didn't the other day Leslie Udwin videograph the boy, who showed no remorse. Didn't the Barkha Dutts and Rajdeep Sardesais bark at you from the idiot box how the boy represented half the country, namely all the males of India? Well, the criminal, who gave the country shivers is now out, set free by the same justice system that delivered judgements on Salman Khans and Tarun Tejpals, the cocktail-mates of these very anchors and activists.
The only person, who appears as a symbol of sanity and calm in this cacophony of TRP chasing TV channels has been the mother of Nirbhaya. She has appeared in TV programmes as an image of immense fortitude and patient demeanour, demanding justice for her daughter in a calm and firm voice. She has been consistently composed, yet articulate in all her appearances in spite of the indescribable pain she suffers every day due the gory mutilation and death of her darling daughter. The grieving mother has handled provocative questions designed to incite angry response and to break her down with memories of her child. But, while the TRPs of the shows went up, the lady never gave in to emotional outbursts, remaining steadfast in voicing her demand for justice.
Even today, when she walked towards the courtroom, insolent and rude TV journalists blocked her path and indecorously thrust the microphones in her face. All she had for them was a frown as she pushed the mikes aside. She was disheartened with the judgement of the High Court, but disappointed the byte-hungry reporters by her stoic calm and display of restrained grief.
माँ, तुझे सलाम!
