The Brave Pedestrian

Blindly obeying any policeman takes us one step closer towards a "Police State", and one step farther from a healthy democracy. Therefore, our FUNDAMENTAL DUTY ("to develop a scientific temper, humanism, and spirit of enquiry and reform") requires us to overcome our blind fear of the uniform and fear of authority, and understand the limits of a policeman's powers. We need to understand what the law requires us to do, or not to do. It is true that the law requires us to cooperate with a policeman in the performance of his duty. However, the law also requires us to UNDERSTAND THE LAW itself, and what it empowers the policeman to do. If the policeman is acting in excess of his statutory powers, the law requires us to resist. A citizen's blind compliance with authority enables to State to encroach on the rights and privileges of all citizens. Regardless of his rank, if a cop phones us and asks us to meet him at the police station, there is ABSOLUTELY NO ...

Mumbai, September 9, 2013:  Today, on this occasion called Samvatsari Pratikraman, many Jains will  typically to call me and say, “Michhami dukkadam” i.e. ‘I desire your  forgiveness (for any pain i might have caused you with my words or deeds)’. They will call because that’s the done-thing today… and not because anybody remembers ever hurting me. And to all of them, what I want to say with a smile is: Don’t say it. To hurt me, you need to be within arm’s length of me — punching distance of me. You are just a remote acquaintance; we barely know each other. Don’t say it ritually, because I will not reciprocate. But please look at those who are so close to you, whom you have routinely wounded with a mere gesture, or absence of a gesture. You would have wounded them throughout the year, and throughout your lifetime, with hurtful words, inconsiderate gestures and selfish acts. I don’t want to preach to you… but I am angry. If you are...