The Ola driver accused of Tuesday’s savage assault on a 70-year-old man in Thane has been charged with attempt to murder. The elderly gentleman’s offence was to object to the driver gargling and spitting on a public road. An outraged Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reportedly directed that stern action be taken. The Thane RTO is considering suspension of the driver’s permit and cancellation of his licence.
I am pleased to hear this. Too often, public outrage fades, media attention moves elsewhere, and promised action quietly disappears with it. I hope that does not happen here. The victim has to undergo surgery for a fractured leg. Physical injuries will heal in time. The trauma suffered by him and his wife may not.
On Thursday evening, the accused was taken back to the scene as police reconstructed the sequence of events and prepared the necessary documentation for their investigation. That is how justice is supposed to work: methodically, patiently and according to law. The case appears strong. The assault was captured on video and has been seen by millions. I watched that video several times. It became harder to watch with each viewing.
What disturbed me most was not only the violence of the attack but the passivity surrounding it. The elderly couple fought back with remarkable courage. Yet for precious moments, those present seemed frozen by uncertainty. People watched. People hesitated. People waited. When did we become like this?
We are quick to raise our voices over politics, religion, ideology and identity. We are easily provoked into outrage by strangers on television and social media. Yet when an elderly man is assaulted in front of us for standing up for basic civic decency, many of us suddenly become spectators.
The driver should face the full consequences of the law. That much is obvious. But the deeper question this incident leaves behind is one for the rest of us. If we witness wrongdoing and choose silence, if we see the vulnerable being attacked and look away, what exactly are we becoming as a society? That, to me, is the real shame of the Thane incident.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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