Dropping my parents to the Bangalore City Railway Station at 11:30 pm, as I walk back to the parking lot, I see a sight that shocks me and leaves me with many questions but no answers.
The City Railway Station is always bubbling with activity with people always coming or going. However, there are always people who stay. One would wonder what that means. I have always seen some people who use the railway station as their home – sleep at the platform braving the cold, mosquitoes and surprisingly today I saw them braving the cops too. I have always seen people there. I am not sure if they are the same people every night and have made the platform their home or just different people at different times. I wonder why they choose to sleep at the railway platform. Don’t they have homes? Don’t they have places they can sleep at? Don’t they have hotels / hostels to sleep at? Are they too expensive that these people have to brave the cold night, mosquitoes and policemen?
As I walked out the main entrance, I see a whole bunch of people sleeping under the entrance. Suddenly, I see one policeman wielding a stick and beating up a young man. I see more policemen now, walking around, asking questions and beating up random people. I was a strange and shocking sight. Some people continued to sleep un-disturbed and some people were brutally beaten with the stick. I found it strange that only some people were beaten up while others were allowed to sleep. I wondered why? I wondered who gave right to the policemen to beat-up, harmless people sleeping on the platform. I wondered why country’s law allows civilians to be beaten up. I wonder if wielding the stick makes these policemen feel powerful. I wonder if they are able to sleep peacefully at night. I wondered what the dynamics of this strange system where some are allowed to sleep and yet others beaten up and shooed away.
I feel angry that there is not enough that we as people are doing to change this situation. I feel frustrated that I continue to be a mute spectator while all this happens in front my eyes. I feel helpless that I still live in a country where civilians can get caned and there are probably poor people who don’t have places to stay.
I worry about the future as someday I fear the masses will strike back and destroy everything in their way in the hope to change things.
I wish we could be more sensitive as human being atleast for another human being. I wish there was a way to bring about law and order without violence.
As I finish penning my thoughts, I sit quiet for a long, long time wondering, questioning, seeking answers but finding none.
One more failure added to my increasing list of things I wish to change.
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