AN INCONVENIENT PARADOX

Arun  : Has anybody seen the news today? A 20 year old woman got raped.

Devi  : These criminals should be punished.

Ravi  : Do you think they are not punished? They're being punished, but the fact is that they aren't afraid of that anymore.

Devi  : Then, the punishment must be harsher than they can imagine, the pain should be  unbearable.

Anu   : How about this? They must be butchered.

Devi  : They must be killed by pelting them with stones.

Ravi  : Exiled into the inner part of desert with no water and no food while naked.

Arun  : Hell man. "Humanity is lost."

Bala  : One cannot lose something he never owned.

Ravi  : What do you mean by that quote Arun?

Arun  : Punishment is something that should be given by the government in the name of law.

Ravi  : We got our freedom approximately 70 years back.The law you're talking about isn't enough for a woman to have her full rights and it should be amended.

Bala  : You still think we got our freedom?

Anu   : Of course, yes.

Bala  : But what I feel is that the East India Company(EIC) left our land and some random corporate showed itself, and proclaiming itself as the one true high authority in our nation, started  collecting taxes, making rules and any who resist are put in prison. It's just a change of ownership. Nothing more and nothing less.

Devi  : So, you are saying that no one should be there for representing our nation.

Bala  : No, I'm just saying that the government is just acting the way the EIC acted, the only difference being that it's capital is inside India. And it does feel like we haven't got our freedom yet.

(After a few moments of silence.)

Bala  : And, you guys are no different from that rapist if you do what you said.

Ravi  : What(Angrily)? How the hell can you compare us with that god-damn rapist?

Bala  : What makes you think you are different from him?

Anu   : Because he has done something inhuman and we haven't.

Bala  : (completes the sentence)yet.

Bala  : You people got tempted by hearing the news and you're ready to torture him to death, which is considered inhuman, and he was tempted on seeing the woman and did an inhuman act. You have your emotions and reasons, and so does he. But the only difference between you and him is that you have a reason which society accepts whereas it doesn't accept his.

Anu   : Are you suggesting that we should not punish the accused?

Bala  : Certainly not. I'm just trying to tell you that you are contradicting yourselves.